My Eyes Were Trained On You
by vonanna22
Summary: What if love was found in the one place you'd never normally open up yourself to the possibility?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** Hi, everyone it has been a really long time. I got another promotion but I have to travel two hours, each way, for work now. This eats away so much of my time but I have been thinking about this lately. This is another AU story. I don't know how good this will be since I don't seem to have the energy that I used to anymore. I like to put my all in everything but this feels a little slow to me. Again, I don't know how long it will be or where I am really going with it-it was just an idea that I had. Please forgive all the mistakes and I know there are many. Thank you if you choose to go with me on this journey too – Anna.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or any of its characters.

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

Chapter 1

Sam nervously steamed his suit as it hung on the back of his bathroom door he knew that this steamer was a good investment. He didn't have time to take his suit to the cleaners to be pressed and retrieve it again as he had hoped. He walked around the door and unplugged the steamer.

He needed to go to bed now, he was still getting used to sleeping in this bed so he had to start early to find just the right comfortable spot. He knew that it would take longer to fall asleep tonight anyway, if he could at all, he was too excited to sleep; he was too excited all the way around. It was his very first apartment in New York; it was his very first apartment period. A new city, a new job, and tomorrow was the beginning of it all. He had only arrived two days ago, and in that time he met with the realtor, picked up the keys and did a thorough cleaning of the place. For now he had some of his dorm room furniture sparsely placed around but it was a start. He knew this was not the complete realization of his dream (it's not like this was a Manhattan apartment) like he used to dream about-not yet anyway; but someday. For now he had to settle for a one bedroom in the Bronx, it fit a little better in his price range, he thought as he spun around with his arms outstretched and exaggerated a large yawn; simply because no one was around anymore to tell him not to.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and it read 10:27pm. He needed to go to bed and get some sleep for his big day at his new job tomorrow; numbers had always been his thing. This opportunity to work in finance on Wall Street was a big opportunity for him and he was not going to risk losing it by being late on his first day of work.

He turned off all of the lights except for the small lamp on his bedside table. He lay down on his bed and reached for the subway map that he had on the table. He unfolded it and turned it this way and that way. He could never quite be sure if it was right side up or not. "_**That's a long ride.**_" He said to himself once he looked again "_**The number 2 train at Pelham Parkway all the way to Wall Street**_" I have to get moving early. He placed the map back down reached over check his alarm clock to make sure that it was set for 5:30am and then turned out his light rolled over and began the battle to find just the right spot, finally he won and slowly drifted off to sleep.

He had one of those sleeps that when the alarm clock went off it felt like he had slept at all. He had closed his eyes one minute and then the alarm was going off and his eyes were opened again the next. He didn't have time to ponder his strange relationship with sleep so instead he jumped up and started making himself some coffee and then he jumped into the shower.

Sam was looking pretty good he thought to himself as he started at the full length mirror hanging on the back of the door. His muted charcoal grey suit fit him perfectly. He poured his cup of coffee into his travel mug, grabbed his briefcase and his keys, locked the door and left for his big day.

Sam looked at his cell phone briefly and it read 6:22am as the train came- gliding loudly, piercing the air methodically, as it moved consistently and yet slowly into the elevated train station stop of Pelham Parkway. Sam would need to get used to such a loud and yet muted sound so early in the morning. First he heard the automated male voice speak as he stood on the platform with several other awaiting passengers on their way to start their busy work day. "**A Manhattan bound local 2 train will be arriving in 2 minutes.**" Sam waited feeling like a real New Yorker now he took a sip of his coffee as he peered past a few other people while he leaned forward and looked in the direction from which the train would be approaching.

The automated voice sounded again. "**A Manhattan bound local 2 train is approaching the station please stay away from the platform's edge**." Sam backed up slightly as the train slowly pulled to a stop in front of him. "Ding Ding," he heard as the doors slid open and the automated female voice began to speak from within the train itself. "**This is a Brooklyn bound two express train to Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn College; the next stop is Bronx Park East.**" He went toward an empty seat but someone else beat him to it. Sam just nodded and deferred and then looked a little farther down the train car and he noticed another empty seat and he sat down.

His tall body was wedged between a pole and the very curvaceous hips of a young black woman. At first he had not gotten a very good look at her but her perfume smelled like lilacs and his eyes were drawn to her hair; as he sat back in the seat his torso making him a head taller than she, while seated. It had covered most of her face and it was big, crinkly, long and full. He wondered how she had gotten it that way.

He was always taught not to directly stare at people so he had learned other tricks along the way. Sam looked at the window across from him in between the heads of the people sitting across from him and he tried to get a good look at her face; not to be too conspicuous he cleared his throat a little and took another sip of his coffee. The smell of lilacs reminded him of back home.

She was playing some kind of game on her cellphone; little read, green, yellow, and orange cubes descended from the ceiling of her phone down to its base and then disappeared. He looked around the train car and many other people seemed to be doing the same thing either that or drinking coffee like him. He was starting to feel like a real New Yorker, he thought as a small prideful smirk spread across his face.

The train pulled to a stop and the doors slid open and the automated voice spoke again "**The next stop is East 180****th**** street.**" The doors opened then people pushed into the car while others attempted to push out of it. The automated voice spoke again "**Stand clear of the closing doors please, ding ding**." The tone echoed slightly as the doors closed and the train began moving again.

Finishing the residual drops of his coffee warmed him on this slightly cool morning and he found the rocking of the train quite soothing. The train car filled with more and more people at each stop and Sam found himself snuggled between the young lilac lady and an older woman who slightly reminded him of his childhood friend's grandmother. He tried to sit as straight as he could but the warmth that was penetrating his left thigh from the shared space of the thigh of this lilac lady oddly felt comforting. He found himself enjoying this warmth and connection so much that he drifted off to sleep hypnotized by it.

"_**Excuse me, Excuse me**_" Sam slowly opened his eyes to see two gentlemen and some teenaged school kids staring at him and laughing. "_**None of these people looked like they would have sounded like what he thought he just heard.**_" He thought. He was disoriented slightly and he heard something again. "_**Excuse me**_", the voice was low and soft. "_**Why did he smell the lilacs so predominately now?**_" He thought. "_**Why is everyone standing on an angle?**_"

The automated voice spoke again "**The next stop on this train is Wall Street**." "_**Wall Street?**_" That was at least an hour away from-then it registered. "_**Excuse me; this is my stop so I need my shoulder back**_." She spoke again. Sam's eyes grew wide and then he realized who had been speaking to him. He had been sleeping on lilac lady's shoulder this whole time. Nothing could hide the embarrassment on his face. "_**Oh, I am so sorry**_" he said with a thick southern accent as he removed himself from off of her body. "_**Please forgive me.**_" He continued with the deepest southern drawl she ever heard.

Sam felt smaller and smaller as the teenaged school kids started laughing out loud and making comments about him, some of them were even pretending to snore. "_**Oh, God please don't tell me I was snoring while sleeping on her.**_" He thought quickly.

She turned her head toward him and then he could get a good look at her whole face. "_**You must have had some night.**_" She batted her eyes at him as she graced him with the fullest of smiles. "_**She was pretty, strikingly, pretty and even more so when she smiled.**_" He mused. She continued to look directly at him and she spoke again "_**I would not have disturbed you but this is my stop coming up.**_" It was then that she reached up and began to fluff out her hair again, which had been crushed as he lay on her shoulder.

The train pulled to a stop and she stood up, the dark burgundy skirt of her business suit was definitely leaving an impression on him, as she said "_**Excuse me**_" to the gentleman standing in front of her and she began to leave with the crowd who had been exiting from the train. Sam then remembered that this was his stop too. He jumped up and followed close behind her out of the door.

She felt his tall body which bumped into her back as she was moving through the door. "_**I'm sorry**_" he whispered shutting his eyes quickly and turning his head slightly to one side (reprimanding himself) and then looking at her with pleading eyes. "_**This is my stop too."**_ He spoke meekly. "_**Thanks or I would have missed it.**_" He whispered again quickly.

She looked over her shoulder toward him and smiled again. She then pushed her way through the crowd up the stairs and then she was gone.

**XXXXX**

Sam's day had gone pretty well considering, the sheer embarrassment of how it started, he had met the C.F.O. Mr. Figgins who had seem to be an alright guy and he was introduced to the rest of his team. Mr. Figgins had started his new pet project called "**The Figgin's Four**" this was a group of young, up and coming financial wizzes that he had hand-picked from hundreds of interviews from fifty different colleges and universities. They were going to be financial analysts and eventually venture capitalists that he would mentor and train them himself.

The team consisted of Mike Chang, Sebastian Smythe, and Ryder… Something (He couldn't remember his last name) and himself. Rumor had it that there was room for one more and that the project was originally supposed to be "**The Figgin's Five**" but that was still left to be determined.

Figgins was an old-school; military type and he had prepared them by letting them know that this group was to be tight knit. They were to cast off any old best friends because this circle was it! "_**You cannot do business well if you cannot trust your team.**_" He drilled that into them all day long. They were not going to jump straight into work as much as they were going to jump into training exercises; team building exercises.

Sam continued to ponder his first day as he stood at the Wall Street train platform. He looked above his head to the electronic sign which read the next 2 train would be arriving in 7 minutes. He found himself glancing around at the people who were on the platform. He was hoping that he would see the lilac lady again, but why should he? "_**If New York was nothing else it was a big place and filled with people; what would be the odds?**_" He thought.

When the train pulled into the station Sam entered but finding a seat coming home proved to be an impossible task. "_**Well…. **_"He thought. "_**I suppose I truly am a real New Yorker because I am officially a strap hanger.**_" He chuckled to himself and nodded his head. He was like a little kid staring out the window at all of the stops and watching as the train filled and emptied and filled again as it traveled back uptown. When the train had emptied again he had glanced into the other train car and saw her.

He backed up so much to get a good look at her that he bumped into the person standing and holding on to the bar behind him. "_**Sorry**_." He quickly stated and took a step forward again. "_**It's her…. I wonder where she is going?**_" "_**Right, smart Sam- where do you think she is going probably home stupid**_." He watched her as her body slightly swayed forward and backward with the rocking of the train car. She was standing as well and she looked so deeply lost in thought. Sam wondered what she could possibly be thinking about. He wondered what her day had been like as well. Sam had just found his distraction for his long train ride into the city. He wondered every day from now on what was going on in the life of the lilac lady.

**XXXXX**

Ever since that first day that they (well sort of met, but not really) Sam had the privilege of riding the same train to work with her every day and every night. She was always so beautiful, poised, and kind to those around her. He watched her as she gave money to homeless people on the subway. He watched her interact with small children in strollers always kind, loving, playful, and full of smiles- oh her smiles. He watched her enthralled in books, and she was a fast reader, it was a new one every week. He couldn't tell if she was slightly pretentious because she always had a book not an e-book reader but a paperback book (old school) but he could appreciate it. He imagined her going through the library on Sunday afternoons or a corner bookstore and picking what new adventure that she wanted to start on her train ride for the next week. "_**Maybe she is a part of a book club**_." She seemed to like thrillers mostly: "**My Sister's Grave**" by Robert Dugoni, "**Escape**" by David Baldacci, "**Gone Girl**" by Gillian Flynn, and now she was on to something new "**Still Missing**" by Chevy Stevens.

She had no idea but-he also picked up the books that she had been reading; only he read them at home at night. It somehow made him feel like he would get to know her better, understand her thoughts, or at least have something in common to discuss if he ever got up the nerve to speak to her. "_**It had been three months now**_" he thought and yet they hadn't spoken to each other again since. He did notice her patterns though she always rode in the conductor's car going to work and in the car behind on her way home.

He didn't know why she became this obsession of his "_**Was he that lonely in this town?**_" he asked himself the tough question. He had looked up at the electric sign which read 7:02 pm he had six more stops before he would leave her. She was always already on the train when he got on in the morning and he left her on the train every night. There were quite a bit of stops left after his and he often wondered where she actually got off at.

It was a Friday night and the train was somewhat empty at this point. Sam speculated that most of the people stayed downtown to party and to start the weekend off with a bang- but not her. When the train stopped at "**Simpson Street**" a group of men came into the train car, about five to seven of them, they were loud and drunk and were playing a loud radio which had been spewing all types of obscenities. They spoke loudly about getting to their destination and all they had planned to do to the women once they got there.

Sam read the lilac lady's body language and she tensed up, probably at first because they were interrupting her reading. She shifted her body weight in her seat and crossed her legs in the opposite direction.

One of the men spoke up quickly "_**Hey sexy, do you have any plans for this evening?**_" Sam inched forward in his seat slightly he was sitting in the next row of seats and across from her but he was paying attention. She on the other hand did not answer at all. "_**Hey you! Thickness, I am talking to you, you got any plans for tonight?"**_ The men in the group started laughing at him and telling him that she was being disrespectful to him. _**"Miss…"**_ he said more agitated. Sam watched this whole scenario unfold and he was not feeling good about it at all.

She looked up from her book and spoke. "_**Are you speaking to me?**_" She questioned. "_**You're the only one here who could answer to thickness ain't that right?**_" He said as one of his friends gave him a slight punch on his should with his fist. "_**You look good and I was wonderin' if you wanted to hang out with me and my boys tonight. We can make sure that you have a real good time.**_"

Sam had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach this was not going to happen not tonight, and especially not to her. "_**I'm sorry I can't I already have plans.**_" She said in a slightly dismissive tone. "_**Ha ha ha aha …I guess she told you**_" the crowd of men began to laugh at him. Sam noticed that the train was approaching his stop next but he refused to leave her in this car with just them.

"_**Well, I am pretty sure that I can make you cancelling those plans worthwhile**_." The guy spoke again as he moved in a little closer to her and grabbed at his manhood and readjusted himself as he moved closer to her. "_**Oh c'mon – she already dissed you what more do you want?**_" Someone else in the gang said. "_**I want her to recognize what she is missing**_" he barked back. "_**I am sure that you think I am missing something but I can guarantee you that I won't be missing it at all.**_" She said turning her eyes downward back toward her book.

"_**What Bitch?**_" "_**Who are you talking too?**_" "_**No one would want your fat ass anyway!**_" He started shouting loudly in this mostly empty train car, the only thing louder than him was the music which was still reverberating, a deep bass beat. His group of friends started laughing again and that is when Sam stood up, it was his stop, he could have gotten off of the train when the door slid open, but instead he walked over to her and sat in the empty seat next to her.

He didn't say a word he just sat down next to her. This made the man who had been approaching her pause. "_**What do you want?"**_ the man said to Sam. "_**I want to be a good eye witness if you attempt to accost this young lady**_." He said bravely, although his southern accent made the men mistake him for being a lightweight.

"_**Oh really! Do you think you are going to get involved here?!**_" He said. "_**I have been involved since the beginning.**_" Sam said "_**You just didn't notice that's all.**_" Lilac lady looked up at the electric sign she would be getting off at the next stop. It was then that the man grabbed at Sam's jacket but Sam stood up quickly and punched him straight in the gut. The man buckled to his knees gasping for air in quick spasmodic gasps. "_**Would anyone else like a try?**_" Sam began to unbutton his suit jacket and take it off throwing it on the seat behind him.

Two of the men reached down and picked their friend up off of the floor of the train car. While one other took a swing at Sam who back up out of the way of it and lifted his right leg and kicked the man in the stomach as well-he went flying into the seats across the way.

The train came to a stop and Sam made it very clear that the men should get off now and leave before he had to continue. The group carried their hurt friends off of the train and the door closed as it moved away from the station. "_**Are you alright?**_" Lilac lady asked him, she was so surprised at what had just occurred and for her benefit that was rare to find on a New York City subway.

"_**I should be asking you that**_." Sam said. "_**Well aside for the fact that they just got off at my stop-and I missed it, other than that I guess I'll be okay**_." She chuckled. "_**But then again …"**_ she continued sheepishly. "_**I noticed that you missed your stop too.**_" "_**Oh, that. I didn't feel comfortable leaving you here with them. Let's ride together until the last stop and then come back-by then they should be gone**_" Then Sam's words trailed off. "_**Wait a minute; you know the stop that I get off at?**_" He asked a tad bit excited to hear her answer.

She knew then that she had given away a little too much information. "_**Not to sound creepy or anything but I have seen you on this train before-you may not remember but we have even spoken once." "She remembered that from three months ago?**_" "_**Calm down Sam and just listen**_" he thought to himself again as he allowed himself to take in the slight hint of lilac that was still in the air. "_**It doesn't sound creepy at all**_" he spoke again anyway. "_**I am new in town and it actually sounds friendly. I would like to make some new friends.**_" He found himself saying as he stared in her round brown eyes. She smiled back at him. "_**That would be nice.**_"

The train pulled into yet another stop, no one entered or exited except for a cool chill which wafted throughout the train car. "_**My name is Sam.**_" He said as he reached out his hand. "_**My name is Mercedes**_." She spoke as she shook his hand. "_**Mercedes**_" he never would have guessed that name but he liked it - it fit her. Then he remembered something that saddened him a little "_**I thought I heard you tell those men that you were meeting someone, should you call them?**_" "_**I wasn't meeting anyone; I just didn't want to go with them that is all." **_

"_**Oh,"**_ the smile returned to his face. "_**Would it be wrong for me to ask you to have dinner with me?"**_ Maybe we can find someplace at the end of the line. Mercedes lowered her head in contemplation briefly and then gave him her answer "_**That would be nice, thank you, for everything**_." She said. Sam inhaled slowly the wafting scent of lilac again. _**"Oh no the pleasure would be mine.**_" He said.

**XXXXX**

It was Sunday night and Sam could not wait to meet up with Mercedes on the morning train ride. They had decided that they would try to ride together (if they could) and he was so looking forward to that. She was so sweet, as they sat at the Chinese food restaurant he couldn't stop laughing at the things that she had said. He also was so grateful that he had read the same books that she had read because it meant that they were not for want of conversational topics.

She was a corporate lawyer - a junior one, she was new to her company as well, she was older than him by two years and she had grown up in New York. She only had an older brother but he no longer lived in New York. She said she also was lacking in the friends department simply because she had to stay driven and on course to pass the bar the first time.

He thought about her so much over that weekend, his job was going well enough but he felt so alive just wondering and thinking about her. He had a crush a serious, straight on, crush and he loved it! The next morning Sam was up, got ready quickly and was out of the door early. She told him that her favorite flavor of coffee was a Hazelnut Macchiato, light and sweet _**("Sweet like her"**_ he thought) so he was determined to buy one for her to drink on the train with him this morning.

He stood on the platform his briefcase in one hand and two cups of Hazelnut Macchiato in a tray in the other hand. The automated voice called out as it always did but today it sounded musical "_**Please stand away from the platform's edge"**_ today, the way he felt, it might as well had been "_**Ave Maria.**_"

The train pulled slowly to a stop and there she was he could see her seated and with her purse on the seat next to her. As the doors opened and the morning rush of people pushed their way in to the subway car one person walked up close to Mercedes but Sam quickly spoke up from behind them "_**I'm sorry but that seat is taken.**_" His southern drawl on full display which made Mercedes chuckle as she removed her bag and allowed him to sit next to her.

Full of smiles, himself he extended the tray towards her so that she could take a cup of coffee. "_**Sam you didn't have to do this. Which one is mine?**_" She asked. "_**Either, they are both your favorite, I thought that I'd try it.**_" He said as he slid his briefcase between his feet on the floor. That sat together and sipped their coffees, discussed the latest novel she was reading (really what _**they**_ would be reading after tonight). Although, the train ride seemed so long before, now time just seemed to fly as they got off at Wall Street together. "_**Well, have a great day Mercedes.**_" "Maybe we can meet for the ride home." She suggested. "_**I'll meet you right at this spot at 5:45pm.**_" He said almost giddily. "_**5:45pm it is.**_" then they were separated and disappeared into the crowd as up the stairs they went.

**Authors note:** So yeah, I am just playing around with this premise. Thank you for joining me in my imagination and please review.


	2. Chapter 2

My Eyes Were Trained On You

Chapter 2

Mercedes had been receiving strange vibes from her co-workers all day. She could not shake the idea that they were whispering behind her back. She went into the law library and the paralegals were shaking their heads as she walked by. When she went to give her boss the brief, he asked for, she found that he was rather curt instead of courteous as he used to be.

She had only been there for five months but she felt as if something had gone horribly wrong. She did not just notice this today but for a few weeks now, she was having a hard time with her contacts at other law offices. People, who at the beginning, we bending over backwards to welcome and accommodate the "new girl" were now not returning phone calls or sending her important paperwork on time to meet her deadlines.

She had become troubled by all of this and when she asked her co-workers they seemed to try to brush her off with out so much of an explanation. She was starting to wonder if maybe this job was not the best choice for her. She had options-other options, it was just that she promised her father before he died not to waste her education.

Mercedes used that promise as a springboard to motivate her to complete what she had started. When other roads opened to her, roads that she actually thought she may like more, she wrote it off as a distraction to throw her off course. She stayed strong and wouldn't give up she was going to make her father proud and she believed she did.

Mercedes was not a quitter it was not in her nature-not really, so she was determined to get through this rough patch at work, keep her head up, and to just plough right threw it until she saw daylight again. The only problem was that usually, before daylight-there is darkness.

Mercedes had looked at the time and it said 5:15 pm she had forced herself to get as much accomplished as she could, even with the lack of teamwork that she had been getting used to. When her phone rang on her desk, she almost didn't pick it up. She was afraid she would get dragged into something that would have her working later than she had planned. She was supposed to meet Sam at 5:45 pm and she didn't want him to just be standing there waiting for her.

But Mercedes was conscientious and so she picked up the phone anyway. It was a good thing that she had because it was her boss calling from his private line and that number does not show up on her phone. "**Good Afternoon**" she answered. "**Yes, sir right away**" she said as she hung up the phone and proceeded to his office.

Mercedes walked up the spiral staircase in the center of the office to the Executive Offices and knocked on his door. She heard his voice beckon her to come inside. When she walked into his office he told her to shut the door and to have a seat. "**Is there anything you need Mr. Davis?**" Mercedes asked inquisitively.

Mr. Davis reclined in his chair and spoke matter-of-factly. "**I'm sorry Ms. Jones but I am afraid this is not working out like we had hoped and we are going to have to let you go**." "**I'm sorry?**" She said. "**This is just not the right fit for you; perhaps you may have another field in mind that you may want to pursue?**" Mercedes was devastated by what she was hearing. "**What do you mean? I have done everything that has been required of me.**" She asked in a wearied tone.

"**Sometimes that is just the way it is- you cannot tell why a certain shoe doesn't fit, you only know that you cannot continue to wear it.**" Mercedes was not in the mood for this, not now, he was known for spouting these weird parables to prove a point. "**Can you at least tell me why, where do you find me lacking?**" She asked with a sadness that was pulling at her but she didn't want to breakdown in front of him.

"**No one knows why Brussels Sprouts have a bitter taste and not Broccoli, you only know that you need to have an acquired taste to eat it.**" He spoke confidently as if he had just solved all the world's ills in that one sentence.

It was taking everything in Mercedes power right now not to crawl over this man's desk and hit him for sprouting nonsense. She didn't want to drag this out but she had questions to ask. "**Will I get the customary notice of two weeks?**" She said. "**I think that in light of the circumstances today should be your last day.**" Mercedes neck careened forward and a look of shock and disbelief fell across her face.

"**Don't look that way Ms. Jones, like I said, think clearly and rationally right now. You seem to be a clever girl and I am sure there are other avenues that you can take at this time that may be more up your alley.**"

"**Why does he keep saying that?**" Mercedes pondered "**What avenues?" **She continued to think. "**Right now, the only avenue she is going to find is skid row, when she is no longer able to pay her bills and keep a roof over her head**." She thought.

"**Don't worry Ms. Jones when God puts a hole in your net it means he is going to make the fish jump into your boat.**" Mercedes put her thumb and her middle finger over the bridge of her nose as she quickly placed her head down resting her elbow on his desk. "**I am going to kill him."** She thought to herself.

"**Now if you would be so kind to leave your work ID and keys on my desk that would be most helpful.**" He smiled when he asked. She could not believe it, he actually smiled. "**I will give you and excellent letter of reference; I am sure you will be thankful for this opportunity in the long run; after all life is not a sprint but a marathon!"**

That was it! Mercedes snatched off her ID badge and pulled her keys out of her blazer pocket and dropped them on his desk. She went downstairs in a huff and over to the mailroom and asked them for a box. It took her another fifteen minutes to take all of her personal knick knacks from her office and make her departure. By the time she had left the building and got to the train station it was 6:25pm. She had no hope of Sam still waiting there for her and what was the point now anyway. They would no longer ride to work together either.

As soon as she thought that life was falling into place instead this is what she gets-a kick in the teeth and with no real explanation as of why. She was furious, frustrated, and fatigued all at the same time. She started thinking it was good that she was late she doesn't think that she would be in the mood to explain all of this to Sam anyway. "**What would he think of her? A woman who can't keep a job; how pathetic was that?**" She thought as she struggled with the awkward box down the stairs and it felt so heavy-probably because it now carried so much of her lost dreams as well.

Then she heard her name called out "**Mercedes!**" Sam moved quickly on the platform to the bottom of the stairs and reached out his hands and caught the box. "**Here let me help you with that.**" He said still sporting that southern hospitality tone in his voice. "**How was your day?**" He questioned smiling at her. "**You waited?**" was all she could say. "**Yeah, and I am glad I did this box is pretty heavy for a woman wearing stilettos**" He laughed. His sweetness and kindness was so unusual for this city. She didn't know what to say or do.

"**The next uptown 2 local train to 241street and White Plains Road will be arriving in 2 minutes**." The overhead automated voice spoke. Sam looked back over his shoulder and then looked at Mercedes. "**The last few trains were pretty crowded but, maybe because we are a little late, it might not be so crowded and I will try and get a seat for you.**" He said simply oooozing charm.

Mercedes couldn't take it anymore it was such a stark juxtaposition between her bosses' indifference to firing her and his kindness- to basically a stranger-which is why her tears began to flow freely from her eyes. "**Mercedes what's wrong?**" Sam said showing concern. Her sobbing grew heavier as the loud rumbling of the uptown train entering the station began to drown her out. She was grateful for it; for once, she was grateful for the loud screeching sound of the metal hitting metal as the train's brakes forced it to a stop.

Her body was shaking and she felt like such a fool but she could not contain it any longer. "**Ding Ding**" the train sounded as the door's began to open Sam immediately surveyed the situation. The train car was kind of empty and there were not that many people on the platform. He quickly jostled the box into his one arm that was still holding his briefcase and used his other arm, by placing it on the small of her back, and lead her into the train and to a seat. He then sat the box and his briefcase on the floor and grabbed a handkerchief from his suit jacket and began to wipe away her tears.

"**Sweetie, what happened?**" He asked with so much sincerity that it almost made her feel even more embarrassed to say anything, but what was she going to do. It was to late now. She would probably never see him again after today anyway so there is no point in not telling him the truth.

"**I got fired today**." She said meekly. Sam eyes squinted slightly. "**You-what?**" He questioned. "**Please don't make me say it again. I don't even know why.**" She continued. "**My boss is a jerk and you can never get a straight answer out of him- all he kept talking about was me not being the right fit, or bitter Brussels sprouts, and fishes in boats, it was horrible.**" She stated.

"**I know that I shouldn't be dumping this out on you. You were very kind to wait although you really don't know me. I am sorry that you waited so long. Just forget about me and try not to let this worry you on my behalf.**" She spoke as she tried to gain her composure and basically let him off the hook. She didn't want him to feel obligated to say or do anything. "**This isn't your problem**." She said softly.

"**You are my friend and if you are hurting that is my problem**." He stated as he grabbed on to and held her hand. "**I am so sorry about what you had to experience today**." He spoke in such a soft tone as if he wanted to heal and soothe her with his words alone. "**Looking back do you think that you saw any of this coming at all?**" He questioned. 

"**I had thought about it today that things were not the same as they had been**." It was difficult for her not to find herself shaking again. "**Now I think people already new that this was going to happen before I did. I am a big girl Sam I can take being fired if I knew what the reason was but… as far as I could tell there really wasn't one and I think that is what struck me so hard.**"

They sat quietly for a while as the train continued on its slow crawl uptown. The train had been caught in "**train traffic**" as the automated voice put it at several points along the way. It was as if the universe knew that this would be their last ride together and it tried to make it as long as it could for them.

Only this ride didn't hold the giddiness for Sam that it usually held. He felt as if he had been hit by something big and he had no idea what to do about it. He had a lot of plans and dreams about what his life would be like in New York and she was not apart of those dreams at all-not for years, and now all of a sudden she trumped everything else that he wanted for himself in this city-and he was worried that she would let it slip away.

"**I know you may not be feeling up to it ….**"Sam asked as the train finally made it closer to their stops. "**Would you like to have a drink with me tonight?**" He asked. Mercedes head was lowered to the point where he wasn't even sure that she had heard him. "**I don't think so Sam, I'm sorry, I just want to go home now.**" Sam understood what she was feeling but he didn't want this to be the last time they saw each other.

"**Ding Ding**" the sound echoed from the train into the night air as the train door slid open at Sam's stop. Sam slowly got up and said "Goodnight" and walked through the train doors. Sam was so preoccupied that he hadn't realized that he didn't have her number;

"**How would he get in touch with her again?**" He thought. He frantically pulled at his jacket pocket and tried to reach for his cell phone "**Mercedes wait-your number?**" He questioned as he ran back toward the now closing train car doors all her could hear her say was "**Goodbye**."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Here is another chapter I hope you enjoy. Please forgive my many grammar mistakes, somehow I just can't seem to get that right-you see! LOL.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters.**

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 3**

Sam stood on the train platform the next morning. It was bitterly cold today and overcast. He had taken mass transit for months but being at the station today seemed foreign to him.

There were things that he had never noticed before. He looked at the same people day after day but today he noticed the weariness in their eyes. He noticed their slumping shoulders of those around him. Everyone seemed unhappy or maybe even angry or both.

"**Was he just projecting how he was feeling on them?**" He didn't know, but today even the lamp posts mocked him standing in a row with its long neck bent down, the lamp shade itself seemed to reflect the futility in this city. Out of all of what he saw nothing displayed emptiness and despair as his own reflection in his mirror this morning.

A train puttered forward along the tracks but even its lights were out this morning. It offered up a long slow blast from the horn and passed the station by. He stood there and watched as the darkened train offended the others who had been waiting without as much as a hint of concern.

"**Who cared if they would be late? Who cared if they would be inconvenienced?**" It just passed them by. Sam could not help top recognize the parallel between that action and time itself. Time did not care if you were waiting for the right moment or if you were trying to get your nerve up. Once it was gone it was gone.

He thought about how he met Mercedes and why did he allow three months to go by without speaking to her. "**I was an idiot**." He thought and now all that precious time had passed that he could have spent with her. He would not ride with her anymore; he would not talk to her anymore. He was foolish to not move sooner and value their time better.

A bitter wind blew through him and the automated voice spoke "**Due to a police investigation at Bronx Park East all passengers please leave the platform and head downstairs for the free shuttle bus service that is being provided to 180****th**** Street**."

This day had become more and more annoying by the minute. Sam could not even pretend that it was still the same. It hurt his heart to think that he would never see her smile again. As he began his descent down the stairs with the others he couldn't help but think about the irony of it all then he thought to himself "**Maybe if I could go down deep enough, I would find my heart had sunken.**"

XXXXX

By the time Sam finally got to work today Figgins' had them doing what they had been doing for months sitting in the conference room and brain storming fake business scenarios. "**They had to learn each other**." Figgins' said. "**Learn how the other thinks, and begin to define their roles within the group.**" He charged. "**Which one keeps a cool head? Which one worries too much? Which one jumps the gun? Which one is the troublemaker or instigator? Which one deals with data? Who is solution oriented? And who was just a pain in the ass?**" These were Figgins' words of wisdom.

No one personality type was right or wrong in Figgins' estimation but according to him you just have to know who you are dealing with and the truth of character would emerge through these shared experiences.

Today's Question was of a moral nature "**Are there any gray areas when it comes to getting what you want out of life?**"

"**Resolved: In America you have the right to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.**" Figgins continued.

"**We also as humans have a survival instinct, and only one life to live.**" He stated. "**How then to you use these truths in getting what you want out of life?**" Figgins spoke with such conviction. "**Ryder Lynn**" Figgins shouted with emphasis "**What is your take on the situation?**"

"**It is my personal obligation to myself to live this life in the best way possible; I owe that to myself.**" Ryder responded. Sebastian chimed in "**Yeah, but who defines what's best? What is best for me may not be what is best for you.**" He answered smugly. Mike then added as he stirred his coffee "**Who says it has to be? I'm going after what I want not what you want.**"

Figgins then interjected "**What if you have to override someone else's happiness to get it?**" The room was silent as the men pondered that question. Sam then asked "**Are you saying that my happiness should override someone else's?**" Sebastian asked "**Why should it?**" Figgins asked "**Why shouldn't it?**" "**Because, they are afforded the same rights under the Constitution as we are.**" Sam said. "**What if your happiness is the greater good?**" Figgins spoke again.

"**How can you measure happiness?**" Mike exclaimed. Then Figgins asked a question "**Who contributes more when they are happy? The business owner, or the employee?**" He must have meant for the question to be rhetorical because he then began to answer his own question. "**The business owner can create jobs. What can the employee do? Spend a little extra at Best Buy? The business owner's happiness should trump the employee's.**"

Sam rolled his chair back a little from the conference table and then spoke. "**Are you saying that you believe in Class-ism? Do you believe that the person with more-has more rights, or should?**" Figgins replied "**What I am saying is it is always better to keep the boss happy and if you want to be happy then you need to become the boss and attempt to take my happiness from me.**" Figgins continued to speak after taking a sip of coffee from his cup. "**If you are not intelligent enough to do so, driven enough to do so, or courageous enough to do so- then my happiness should always trump yours-and I will always get what I want one way or the other.**"

Figgins' Blackberry started buzzing and he excused himself from the conference room to take the call.

"**Figgins has balls the size of boulders**." Sebastian said as if he was really just thinking it but it slipped out and was said out loud anyway. "**He can't be serious**." Sam stated. "**I think he was completely serious.**" Mike added. "**I wonder how much he makes in a year?**" Ryder mused. "**Are you kidding?**" Sam said shaking his head at Ryder as if he were crazy or something. "**What can I say; I'm impressed I would like to be like him when I grow up.**" Ryder said.

Figgins entered the conference room again and said that he had to leave town suddenly but while he was gone he would also set up an "**Enrichment Retreat**" for them that would last about a week. He told them that he would send them the information and travel arrangements in an email. He also let them know that they needed to "**bring it**" because once they returned he was going to choose which one of them would lead in their first real world assignment, and that the client would be worth a significant amount of money for the company.

**XXXXX**

Sam's train ride home seemed so lonely. There were some people who he recognized and from time to time a smile or two may grace their lips-simply a sign of recognition, but it wasn't the same. He had decided that he need to get out of this rut that he had found himself in. He tried to enjoy going out for beers with the guys from time to time on a Friday night.

Sam had met different women and gone on a couple of dates with a few but honestly he still could not get Mercedes out of his mind. It had been a whole two months already and although some of the women he met seemed nice, they just didn't click as easily as he and Mercedes did.

He wondered about her-"**how was she doing? Did she need financial help? Did she just leave town altogether?**" He missed her even now, even after so much time had gone by; he really did still miss her. He couldn't understand how she became so important to him so fast; he only knew that she was. He only wished that he could have helped her, or that she would have let him help her in her time of need.

Figgins had finally sent out the email to everyone and they were to meet on Sunday bright and early for their flight out of JFK to Scottsdale, Arizona. They were going to stay from Sunday to Sunday and it was all on the company, the flight, the resort, the meals, and even the drinks. Sam was excited about the prospect "**Maybe a little time away from the city would do me some good.**" He thought. "**At least I won't be taking the train and thinking of her.**"

**XXXXX**

When the van from the airport brought them to the resort Figgins was already there waiting for them, he had come out on an earlier flight. The resort was beautiful and it looked more like a vacation than a working trip. He told them to hurry up and check in and they would meet out back on the green for a game of golf in a half an hour. He wanted to instill in them "**A sense of patience and purpose.**" he said.

When Sam saw his room it had a king size bed and a full bath, each room had Wi-fi accessibility, it also had several cable channels, and a patio overlooking the property; the mini-bar was truly calling his name, at the moment, but instead he started looking at the room service menu.

As soon as his telephone in his room began to ring he knew exactly who it was. "**Hello Ryder**" Sam said as he answered the phone. "**So seriously…**" Ryder started "**how much do you think he makes a year?**" "**I am hanging up on you Ryder**." Sam said as he chuckled and proceeded to hang up the phone.

Sam realized then, after he had looked at the time on the telephone that his hunger and desire to be completely wasted- had to wait until he finished doing his due diligence by hanging out with the boss. He made sure he had his room key and then he went out back to meet up with the rest of the guys.

Mike and Sebastian were already there waiting when Sam joined them. "**Can you believe, they supply everything here, we don't have to pay for a thing? I could learn to like this.**" Mike spoke with a huge smile on his face while wearing his dark sunglasses- which had been reflecting Sam's own face back at him.

When Ryder joined the group he had already had a Margarita in his hand. "**I say we make this a once a year event!**" He spoke cheerily. Sebastian just shook his head no "**Once a year is not enough for me-maybe I can talk Figgins into allowing me to teach these classes to the newbie's and I will just live out here**."

Figgins arrived with the biggest grin on his face that they had ever seen before. "**Okay everyone are we ready to embark on a journey of bonding and brutality, ha ha ha.**" He said as he clapped his hands and then rubbed them together rigorously. "**I am if you are!**" Sebastian quickly spoke up.

Sam caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, something that he didn't dare believe. Mercedes was walking toward him her eyes glowed a little when she saw him and she began smiling widely at him. Once she made it to the group Figgins began to speak. "**Everyone I would like to introduce to you my prized possession – This is Mercedes Jones, meet the newest member of the Figgins Five!"** "**It's nice to meet everyone.**" She said with the smile that Sam had missed for months.

**Author's Note:** **I hope you enjoyed and please review. It would be nice for me to celebrate Thanksgiving with writing reviews just one more thing to be thankful for.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Here is another chapter I hope you like it and please forgive my mistakes. "Happy Thanksgiving Everyone, I hope it is a blessed and safe one for you and your loved ones!"**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 4**

Mercedes extended her hand and began shaking the hands of the gentlemen who had now been standing with her. The guys looked puzzled as they each individually shook her hand "**First of all who was she?" "Where did she come from?" "And where had she been all this time?"** Sam knew these guys well enough, now, to know that these were the questions that they were thinking and asking themselves; but Sam had wondered about the answer to that last question himself-many, many times as well. Sam continued to watch this scene unfold with an (awkwardly hidden) excitement and awe. When she extended her hand towards him, it took every fiber of his being-within him, to simply shake her hand at this moment, and nod his head and accept this lame re-introduction.

Two golf carts approached them driven by two caddies both carts had enough space for six people. But one cart was already filled with bags of golf clubs and equipment. "**Okay**" Figgins shouted "**Let's move out.**" As they all walked to one of the carts the caddy jumped out and rode with the other caddy and the equipment while Figgins took the wheel. Sebastian screamed out "**Shotgun**" and jumped in the front seat next to Figgins. Mike and Ryder sat in the seats directly behind them but Ryder then spoke "**I hope you don't get sick riding backwards Sam!**" Ryder was giggling and fully impressed with himself. Sam just watched Mercedes as she walked over and sat in the back row of the golf cart. As soon as Sam sat next to her the fragrance of lilac hit him immediately, he had never missed anything more, except for maybe the warmth he was again feeling on his left thigh as his leg made contact with hers as they sat together. He thought he would pass out from joy.

His inability to do or say anything at this point was going to kill him; he could not wait until this golf game was over because his mind had been racing. He needed to enjoy this moment being with her and yet not enjoy it too much; if that made any sense? As they sat facing backwards together in this rhythmically moving golf cart Sam couldn't help himself-he leaned in to her amazing hair, taking in all of her lilac scent, and whispered into her ear, "**Ding ding**" and then rested his hand on hers and squeezed it.

Mercedes slightly turned her face toward his and slowly batted her eyes as a small smirk of knowing graced her lips. "**He could do it**" he thought to himself "**He could live for the next ten years just from that small sign of connectedness that just passed between them.**"

**XXXXX**

Sam may not have known where Mercedes had been over these last two months but he had the sneaking suspicion that she was somewhere perfecting her golf game. She was beating the pants off of everyone on the course. While Mike and Sebastian were above par by 15 strokes, Ryder by 12, Sam by 11, and even Figgins by 9 – Mercedes was on par and they were now at the 18th hole.

When the game was over the men were driving back in silence until Figgins spoke up "**A sense of patience and purpose-you are beginning to show what you are bringing to the team Mercedes**" His grin was full of pride. "**Thank you P's**" Mercedes spoke loud enough to compensate for the sound of her words, which had actually been moving in the opposite direction of the man that she was speaking to. "**Thank you Peas?**" Mike challenged. Figgins laughed out loud wholeheartedly for about two minutes before he spoke "**It's our own private little joke.**" Sebastian then spoke up "**How could you guys already have 'private little jokes' didn't she just get here?**" "**Never you mind**." Figgins countered as they pulled back up to the resort.

Once they all disembarked from the cart Figgins gave them the entire overall plan for the week while they were eating dinner together. "**Every day this week there will be a team building activity in the morning and a bonding activity in the afternoon, the rest of the time you can just enjoy the resort. You could either pick a partner (by placing names in a hat) then continue to work with that person throughout the entire week or you could switch partners every day to learn how to work well with each individual in our team as a whole. It is up to you. There are benefits to both-if you stick with your partner throughout the week your team gets better every day as you better learn your partner and how they think. If you chose to change partners every day then you learn a little about everyone in the group, and that is a plus, but you just will not master any events this week because each day you have to awkwardly learn how to work with someone new.**"

The group thought about their options carefully over their meal of Chicken Cordin Bleu, on a bed of wild rice and salad, not to mention their glasses of white wine. Then Figgins added "**There is one more caveat" **He added. ** "If you pick your partner for the week you are stuck with them-no changes will be made, you will just have to make it work, but by the end of the week regardless if you are a team or just the individual-whoever has the most wins of the challenges will receive a thousand dollar bonus in their paycheck this pay period – tax free!" **Figgins exclaimed. The team started clapping and cheering at the table.

"**The only thing is you have to make your choice before I tell you the activities so that no one will try to use bias in picking their partners- agreed?**" He concluded. "**Agreed**" they all responded back. "**Okay, what will it be a week long partnership or individual's and daily choice?" **Figgins asked. Two people shouted for individual while three people chose the week long partnership. "**The week long partnership it is!**" Figgins shouted with a clap of his hand.

Figgins asked the waiter for a large piece of paper and a pen and, when he received it, he ripped it into six pieces and then wrote all of their names on them. He took off his baseball cap and the dropped the folded pieces of paper with the names inside and began to mix up the pieces. "**The first three people to choose will determine the teams.**" Figgins said.

Sam so wanted Mercedes name that he couldn't even express it-even if he wanted to. Figgins was the first to pull out a piece of paper and then he passed the hat to Sam who was sitting next to him. Figgins opened up his piece of paper and read off the name "**Ryder**". Sam looked down into the hat at the pieces of paper it was the first time he wished that he had super sight. He only had one chance at this and he wanted to get this right. Sam was pondering so long that he didn't realize that everyone at the table now realized how important this decision was to him. "**Any day now!**" Sebastian's speaking jarred Sam from his slight brain lapse. "**Yeah Sam, sorry it is too late, I am already chosen-I know that you are disappointed.**" Ryder pushed out his bottom lip to emphasize sadness.

"**Leave him alone he knows there $1000 tax free dollars resting on this decision; smart man.**" Mike interjected. Sam closed his eyes dropped his hand into the hat and grabbed a piece of paper then he took the hat reached past Mercedes and handed the hat to Sebastian, which puzzled Mercedes. "**NICE!**" Sebastian said as he grabbed the hat next. Sam slowly opened the piece of paper and saw the first letter "**M**" he quickly unfolded the paper and it said "**Mike." **Before he could read his paper out loud Sebastian stuck his hand in grabbed a piece of paper and opened it "**It looks like I get the new kid - Mercedes**" he read.

"**I have Mike**." Sam said. "**Well don't make me feel like the fat kid at summer camp-Sam.**" Mike said as he drank the last bit of his wine. Mercedes asked "**What time should we be ready tomorrow?**" Figgins then responded "**Everyone meet in the lobby by 10:00am – Our activity for tomorrow morning is climbing the Rockwall.**" Figgins said enthusiastically.

"**Make sure you get some rest tonight you are going to need it!"** Figgins said then he stood up and grabbed his hat back from Sebastian. "**Good night everyone, Oh… Mercedes, can I speak to you for a few minutes?" "Walk with me to the elevator.**" Figgins said as he motioned for her to come with him. She got up from her chair and accompanied him on his way to the elevator as he started speaking to her with a muted register. "**Why is he whispering?**" Sam thought. He could not help feeling a twinge of jealousy of this strange connection she seemed to have with Figgins. "**What was that all about?**" He wondered.

The other guys started discussing if they wanted to hang out a little while longer and get some drinks but Sam opted out. "**He was too tired from the flight and the long rounds of golf**" was his excuse; he would just catch up with them in the morning. Sam who had been watching Mercedes from the corner of his eye had seen her shake her head "**No**" quite a few times to Figgins and then saw Figgins get on the elevator alone.

As she walked back to the table she met the guys who started to go towards the bar. "**Hey new kid, we are going to have a few drinks. Would you like to come?**" They called to her. "**Okay, that sounds nice.**" She said. Sam immediately felt agitated "**Did she just say okay?!**" The thought flashed across his mind like lightning. "**Does she have any idea how long I have been trying to get her alone,** **to talk to her, and when we finally have a moment to speak- she is going to go hang out, with those guys?**"

Sam walked by them headed toward the elevator and he coughed and whispered right as he was passing Mercedes "**Cou**_**303**_**gh**" he attempted to let her know his room number so she could meet him afterwards. She turned toward him and he coughed and whispered again, turning toward her as if he were throwing the cough behind his back for sanitary reasons, "**Cou**_**303**_**gh**" and then attempted to clear his throat as he continued to the elevator. Mercedes watched him meticulously as he entered the elevator then she called out as she continued walking to the bar with the guys. "**Don't get sick-it will be easier to beat you tomorrow!**" He heard her say as the elevator doors closed, but was not all he heard, he also heard the other guys encouraging her for the comment. "**You are going to fit in here**." Sebastian said and they all laughed.

**XXXXX**

Sam arrived back in his room at 9:43pm and he waited. He had tried to preoccupy himself with the television but when he noticed that he had just watched a half an hour sitcom and a one hour drama he will admit that he was hurt. "**All this time he had been thinking about her and he must not have meant the same to her at all.**" He wondered. He thought that they had truly shared a moment back there on the golf cart and now he really didn't know what to think of any of this. "**He had truly hoped that, she had believed that, they had truly connected and not that it was just one sided.**"

Sam turned off the television and just shook his head. "**Should he go down to the bar and look for her?**" He wondered "**What would be his excuse?**" "**He told everyone that he was tired.**" "**She had everyone believing that he might be sick.**" He continued contemplating. "**If he knew that the only time that he would get to spend with her tonight would be in the bar with the others; he wished he hadn't turned down the guy's invitation.**"

He looked at the time again and now it was 11:25pm he had given up hope but just then there was a knock on the door. Sam perked up right away. He looked through the little peephole and there she was standing at his door. For a moment he froze he didn't know what would be an acceptable response for meeting her again. Truthfully, he wanted to grab her, hug and kiss her but what if she thought that was weird for a guy she only "**sort of**" knew her a little while ago. "**I suppose I will just have to wing it he said.**" And then he quickly opened the door so that she wouldn't leave thinking he had been asleep already.

As soon as he opened the door she came in and she closed the door immediately behind her. She moved swiftly and wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a great big hug. Sam wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her in tightly-this sensation he was feeling completely overpowered and killed any thought "**That just her leg touching his, would ever, be enough of a connection for the two of them to share-ever again**." He held on for dear life and he could smell the lilac at the nape of her neck right under her hair and it was epic.

She pulled back slightly and made the attempt to kiss him on the cheek and he began to do the same which resulted in his lips gently landing onto hers. He kissed her. It was their first, it was soft, it was by accident, and as far as he was concerned would not be nearly enough, this time he refused to let this opportunity pass him by. He made his move and he began to kiss her again tugging tenderly on her bottom lip with his own, then he opened his mouth and attempted to gain access behind her lips, one of his hands letting go of her waist and cupping the back of her head (enjoying the feel of her hair) pushing her closer to him.

Mercedes was caught off guard but she quickly became receptive to his actions, she parted her lips and granted him permission to continue taking their relationship to a new level. It was his dull moaning while kissing her which made her dare to believe that there was real emotion behind this kiss and not just some strange effect of him sitting in his room alone with his mini-bar.

Sam kept deepening the kiss especially after tasting the fruity taste on her tongue from whatever drinks she had been drinking in the bar, his hand at the back of her head began moving and tilting her head, this way and that, as he mimicked the movements with his own head to continue their constant connection. "**Whatever this was-it was well worth the waiting, all evening, in his room alone.**"

"**Sam**" She had released and attempted to speak through his kisses. "**What is this?**" She asked. Sam pulled away from her and looked at her. "**I don't know about you, but I have wanted to do this since our first date.**" Sam responded. "**Did we have a date?**" She questioned her eyebrows furrowing. "**For me, that Chinese restaurant counts.**" He said and then began kissing her again.

There was so much that they needed to discuss, so much that he knew-he wanted to know, but at this point, he felt like all of that could wait; as long as she was made to realize, without a shadow of a doubt, "**that this**" is what the new re-incarnation of their relationship had become-a relationship.

"**Mercedes**" Sam stopped kissing her and hugged her with all his might "**I've missed you**" he whispered while nuzzling her almost bathing himself in her hair as he spoke. "**I've missed you too, Sam**" Mercedes conceded. "**There are so many questions that I have for you but before anything else I have to ask you something right now**" He said. "**What is it?" **Mercedes wondered what he found so pressing. "**What is your phone number?**" Sam said. Mercedes burst into laughter and so did Sam. "**No, I am serious, this is not a joke**." He said as he let go of her and walked over to his dresser and picked up his cell phone. "**You are not leaving this room without giving me your phone number and address I mean it.**" He stated.

"**I will give you everything but then I have to go we have a big day tomorrow.**" Mercedes countered. "**Only if you ditch everyone early tomorrow I want to spend time alone with you; just you. So, you make your excuses early and we will meet up here as soon as we are released from the job obligations-understand?**" "**I am not taking no for an answer**." He continued. Mercedes giggled. She really had missed that southern drawl of his. "**I understand**" Mercedes said as she took his cell phone from him and put all her information into it and handed it back to him. "**I've got to go.**" She said as she walked to his room door. Sam grabbed her by the arm, spun her around and kissed her again. Upon the release of the kiss between them he whispered to her "**Just don't leave for as long of a time again, alright?**" His eyes were slightly pleading. She batted her eyes and opened the door then she said "**Alright**" As she walked through the door she leaned back a little and said "**Stand clear of the closing door please**" she smiled and closed the door and went to her room.

It was at that moment that Sam Evans knew that he was officially-in love.

**XXXXX**

Ten o'clock that morning everyone had met in the lobby for their first adventure. Figgins had the teams wear matching numbers on their chest (the type that you usually see on marathon runners) and then they began walking to the designated area. It was still at tad bit early but, this was Arizona, and you could most definitely feel the heat starting to command the day.

Sam's smile, which couldn't even be surgically removed from his face at this point, spoke volumes to Mercedes as they still tried to keep their cool and pretend to be people who had just met. There were trained experts who provided them with harnesses, ATC's, carabineers, chalk, and climbing shoes. The instructor explained to them about "**Top Roping and the Belay Method**" which was the technique that they were going to use to climb this wall today. The "Belayer" anchored, assisted, and helped to apply the breaks for the climber as the climber climbed the rope.

After about a 20 minute introductory lesson, and the adjusting of the harnesses'. Figgins gave them the instructions. "**On the top of the wall, I had the experts leave an object this morning." **He said.** "It is required for the team to climb the wall **_**twice**_** and on the second pass bring down that which was left; the first team to complete this challenge wins."**

All three teams started trying to encourage and inspire each other that they could do it and beat the others. The first of the four approached the wall and took their "Belayer" positions as the climber's then took there's. Once all the equipment was checked and the participants ready the experts blew a whistle and the challenge began.

Sam, Figgins, and Mercedes were the first in the "Belayer" positions they yelled and encouraged the climbers to move quickly up the wall. Mike had quite a bit of upper body strength so he took the lead rather quickly but Ryder was not to be undone and he began picking up the pace. Sebastian on the other hand had no idea about his fear of heights until he got two-thirds up the wall. Figgins watched how Mercedes continued to mentor and coach her partner until he got all the way to the top of the wall and the sent her comforting words to help him to repel back down.

Mike had already made it to the ground and began to unhook so that Sam could begin his first climb. Figgins guided the rope for Ryder as he descended and made his way to the ground as well. They switched places and Figgins started to climb up the wall as well. Sam was moving fast his long reach made this possible when he glanced down and saw Mercedes whispering in Sebastian's ear as he finally made it down. Then Sam saw Figgins catching up to him but Figgins and Sam were surprised to see Sebastian begin to climb up the wall again. Cheers and screams to "Move it and Get the lead out" ascended up the wall behind the guys until they made it all the way to the top. Sam it seems only took approximately five long hops and he was back down the wall as Figgins moved in a more trained manner.

Sebastian even surprised his self that he made it to the top and was on his way down a lot faster than he had believed he would. He made it to the bottom while the others were switching places again for their second climb back to the top. Sam and Figgins began anchoring for Mike an Ryder again and shouting more words of competition and encouragement when they heard Sebastian say "**What are you doing?**" to Mercedes. She was removing his rope and pulling the rope off from top of the wall. When the rope dropped to the floor she connected to her carabineer chalked up her hands and began climbing the wall alone. Once she reached a carbineer that was mounted on the wall she connected herself to it and continued to climb until she reached the next one. Sam and Figgins were amazed and Mike and Ryder paused on the wall for a few minutes and watched as Mercedes by using only her upper body strength hoisted herself up and up the rock wall she had reached the top passing both Mike and Ryder as the had stuck trying to understand her technique.

Mike and Ryder began to get back into the fight but by that time Mercedes hand been repelling back down the wall and detaching from each carabineer as she went. When Mike and Ryder began pushing off the wall and lowering their bodies hoping that their leg strength would give them an advantage. In actuality their push-offs were too wide and it slowed them down each time that they had to wait until the swing back allotment time would allow them to do it again.

Mercedes began climbing back up the wall the same way she had just done so. Now when Mike and Ryder got down the time that it took to switch places again with Sam and Figgins gave Mercedes the head start that she needed to grab the piece of paper off of the top of the rock wall and bring it back down. Sebastian was screaming so loud and laughing in the other guys faces that when Mercedes had hit the ground Sam and Figgins had not even began a third of the way up the wall.

Sebastian gave her a high five and she was completely happy as she waved around the paper that she had in her hand. "**Open it**" Figgins shouted as he made his descent. When Mercedes unfolded the paper in read in big bold letters "**DETERMINED**."

"**Your team wins Mercedes!**" Figgins winked at her and Sebastian gave her a big hug.

**Author's Note: Please Review**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hi everybody, here is another chapter. I hope it is okay. I am just not feeling quite the same while writing this story but I will continue –God willing- with the best of the abilities that he has provided me. Thank you so much for the favorites, the alerts, and the reviews. I hope I don't let you all down. Please forgive any and all mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 5**

After lunch it was time for the group's first bonding activity. Figgins had them all meet up in one of the smaller conference rooms which the resort had provided and sat them all around an oval table. Mercedes and Sam sat at the furthest opposing seats as the others four sat in the center seats. "**This will probably be the most important aspect of this retreat.**" Figgins began. "It is here that we share with each other our deepest fears." "**Excuse me?"** Mike interjected. "**Most people feel that way in the beginning but this will really help us to understand each other on a deeper level**" Figgins continued as he reached behind him to another table and picked up a small candle that was on it. He then lit the candle and then placed it in the center of the oval table. "**Sam turn off the lights please**." Figgins asked. Sam got up from his chair and flipped off the light switch and returned to his seat.

"**What are your greatest fears?**" Figgins asked. "**Candles**" said Ryder. "**The dark**" said Sebastian. "**Conference rooms**" said Mike. Everyone at the table began to laugh except for Figgins. "**I know why you are trying to make light of this activity-it's because nothing scares you more than being honest with someone including yourself. So I will go first.**" Figgins stated. "**No**" Mercedes prevented him by placing her hand up. "**I'll go first… I am afraid of developing a mental illness – depression runs in my family.**" She spoke out.

She could feel all the eyes that fell upon her although the room was only lit by candlelight. Ryder took courage and spoke up next. "**Bankruptcy-my mom and me were homeless for a few months when I was nine years old.**" Sebastian entered the conversation with one word "**Baldness-I couldn't handle it man, I don't even want to know.**" He shook his head from side to side, closed his eyes as if sending up a silent prayer for that never to occur. The room stayed quite until Mike spoke up "**Impotence**" "**Oh, yeah, yeah… that's a good one. Yeah, keep that real bro!**" Sebastian, Ryder, Sam, & Figgins co-signed on that one as they all murmured to one another and kept shaking their heads as if Mike had discovered the only real answer to this question. After a few moments of clenching his jaw then Sam spoke "**Abandonment**" he said, "**I was six when my family had to move and we packed up so many things, we had been driving for hours and we stopped to get gas. I went to the bathroom and when I came out the car was gone-they were gone, I stayed waiting for them all night long to come back for me, but they never did.**" The room grew silent and still again. "**What about you Figgins?**" Mike asked. "**What is it you are afraid of?**" Ryder jumped on board. "**Nothing, I have no reason to be. Once you let fear in, victory walks out.**"

Figgins phone buzzed in his pocket, he stood up and answered while walking out of the door.

"**What is up with this guy?**" Sam said turning to Mike. Sebastian answered "**That is how he has risen to the heights- he has a sick attitude.**" "**Don't you mean 'psych attitude'; I think this guy is a little weird-no offense Mercedes.**" Mike quickly looked her way after he finished speaking. "**Why should I be offended?**" She looked at Mike as if he must have known something that she didn't know. "**Well, the two of you do look a little buddy, buddy.**" Sam said with a modicum of jealousy in his tone that he hoped no one else caught on to, he himself did not want it to come out that way, but he might as well jump start that conversation now. "**What are you saying?**" She replied. **"They are asking if your doin' um**" Ryder blurted out. "**Are you saying that I am only in this group because of that?**" "**Are any of you guys' doin'um?**" She spoke with a disgusted tone. "**Cause as far as I can tell you are all in this group too!**" She spoke sharply. "**You know what… I'd like to change my answer, what really frightens me the most is being in a room full of men with big dicks and small minds!**" Mercedes shouted and with that she got up from her seat and stormed out of the room.

"**Damn!"** Sebastian said. "**She could tell I had a big dick from all the way over there, I knew she was checking me out! She must have caught a glimpse while I was climbing to rock wall.**" He started grinning from ear to ear and the other guys began to snicker. Then Sam came to her defense "**You know what guys-we are done, at least if you were drunk I could try to give an excuse for the reason that you speak the way you do; but sadly I can't, because you guys are not. You guys need to go somewhere and try to help each other get those chips off of your shoulders; because that was completely uncalled for!**" As Sam went to leave the conference room Figgins re-entered saying "**I am afraid that I have to cut my trip short, you guys can stay and continue to enjoy the activities if you would like-all except for you Ryder, you are coming with me.**" **"What? Why**" Ryder spoke sadly. Figgins because your my partner and I stick with my partner. Meet me with your bags packed in twenty minutes; we have to catch the next plane out of here.

Sam didn't think jumpstarting that topic would cause such a problem. He was hoping she was not mad at him, although he could've spoken up sooner. He was trying to dismiss the idea that she might have been sleeping with Figgins; he didn't believe it-he didn't want it to be true; but as the jerk that he knew sometimes that he could be; he did want to hear it from her own lips, just to be sure.

**XXXXX**

When he arrived on the third floor he found her sitting on the floor outside of his room door. "**Was that excuse made early enough for you?**" She smiled as she stood up. "**You are amazing**" He whispered while he pulled out his room key from his pocket and then opened his room door pulling her inside with him.

Closing the door he turned around and stretched out his arms exposing his upturned palms. She reached out her hands and held on to his. **"I was worried that you were really mad at me.**" He pulled her in for a kiss. "**Well, actually what did you mean when you said….?**" That was the moment that Sam used his lips and covered hers-suddenly-because he had hoped, that kissing her, would dispel any ideas of what kind of idiot he could really be sometimes.

"**Sam**" She spoke up after he finished kissing her. She placed one of her hands on his chest "**Are you alright?**" "**Why do you ask?**" He said as the smile was now fading from his face. She lowered her eyes to the floor and then asked "**Can I have a beer?**" Sam gave her a puzzled look as he then walked to the mini-bar and grabbed two beers, one for her and one for himself. "**Do you mind?**" She queried as she took off her shoes and sat cross legged on the left side of his bed. She then patted the bed so that he would do the same.

Once he took off his shoes and sat on the king size bed as well, she took a swig and spoke. "**I've noticed that you've been kissing me-a lot.**" A very small smile quickly graced her face and then it was gone in an instant. Sam attempted to follow her train of thought but he worried where she was headed with this conversation. "**At first… I… I thought it was just your being happy to see me, but now… (She paused) let's just say- I don't want you to feel obligated to continue; I missed you too, but it's alright- I understand that we were just friends.**"

Sam pressed his lips together while slowly nodding his head taking in all that she just said. "**Does my kissing you-bother you?**" Sam asked. "**I really don't know how to answer that question.**" She said glancing down at the beer bottle in her hand. "**What does that mean?**" He said while looking at her, and then while shaking his head he continued. "**I never thought of us as just being friends even when we were-I had always hoped…well let's just say that I don't feel obligated; I feel happy, and grateful." "Don't you feel anything for me?**" Sam asked fearful of her upcoming reply.

"**Sam, of course, I was so shocked and excited to see you again. I had no idea that you would be here and it wasn't easy to pretend like we had just met.**" She took another sip for more courage. "**But no matter what I may have been thinking or even possibly hoping**", she lowered her eyes again, "**we work together now and Figgins seems to like competitions. I just don't want to complicate matter anymore than they already are.**" "**You see me as a complication?**" He asked. "**No, my budding feelings for you are a complication.**" She answered. "**Mercedes, I have…** (His tone lowers again while he begins taking the beer bottle out of her hand and placing it on the nightstand) **I have never been one who shied away from complications." **

"**Who was this man?**" Mercedes thought to herself. There is something so intense in his approach; he seemed so different than just that nice friend she met on the train. He had a tender forcefulness about him that she must admit she found to be extremely sexy at the moment. "**Sam… If we**" Mercedes started, but Sam interjected. "**I am not willing to give this up; I'm just not. I like the thought of the two of us really being together."**

Mercedes had to get him to understand what she was thinking "**Sam, if we stop now, while this is still just a harmless flirtation, then maybe we can be better at working with and maybe, even sometimes, against each other.**" Sam placed both of his fists down at his side and forced them down into the mattress and using his upper body strength he lifted his cross-legged body up and moved closer to her and lowered himself back down. His voice became much deeper when he spoke again, so much so that it almost eliminated his southern drawl completely. "**There is absolutely nothing harmless about my flirtation with you.**" A lopsided smirk appeared on his face. "**I fully intend to have your heart ache for me, possibly even break because of me, beat harder when I am around, and to completely stop when I enter into a room; because I already experience all of those things in my heart because of you, so-I don't want harmless.**" He began to stroke her cheek with his hand. "**I fully embrace being in 'complicated', with you.**" Sam leaned in and kissed Mercedes again-softly, tenderly, and with ever building intensity as he pulled her down further on to the bed until they were laying down, side by side, kissing and wrapped in each other's arms.

**XXXXX**

They had been lying on the bed together looking into each other's eyes as the sun was setting and a pale orange hue enveloped the room. "**I was so hurt when those train doors closed and I had no way of getting in contact with you.**" "**So what happened?" "Where have you been?" "What about the law? "Why did you give it up?**" Sam's questions came at a rapid fires pace. "**I didn't really give it up.**" She said as she reached out her hand and cupped his cheek and slid her thumbs up and down it. (She had secretly desired to feel his five o'clock shadow which had now presented itself). She then continued. "**There is something that I need to tell you, something that you probably should know." "Figgins taught at my college for 2 semesters; he taught my Econ class and I was his TA.**"

"**It was not my major but he gave me the job because it afforded me access to the school after hours and I used that time to help me study." "Once I lost my job, I stayed home and tried to sort out what to do next. I called my alma mater to look into some job placement options and Figgins got in touch with me in about a month's time." "Again, I had no idea that you worked for him, that you worked for this company, or that you were a part of his team." "I was surprised that Figgins had done it at all." "He had been speaking to me about the 'Figgins Five' since I was in school." "He told me that my background in corporate law would come in handy for this opportunity."**

Sam watched her as she retold her story. "**It's fate that we are together.**" He said absentmindedly. Mercedes stared at him for a few moments and then she said. "**You have to stop saying things like that to me." **"**Why?**" Was his quick rebuttal. "**Because, it's too soon**." She countered as well. "**Why?**" He asked again. "**Because, you don't know me**." Her answer was just as fast as his. "**I know your deepest fear.**" She suddenly felt completely exposed; even more so then when she had first shared it earlier this afternoon. "**Which member of your family suffered from a mental illness?**" He asked.

She sat up on the bed again and took another drink. Sam sat up after her. "**Mercedes...**" He said. "**I am a safe person for you, you can tell me anything.**" His words seemed comforting as he put his hand on her back and soothingly moved it from side to side. "**My father suffered from depression for years and then one day he didn't.**" "**My brother was in the Army in Afghanistan and now he suffers from PTSD-he lives in Philly, if you can call that living-but I doubt that living is the right word**."

"**What do you mean that your father did then he didn't?**" "**Is he better now?**" "**He committed suicide, I suppose he thought he would be better-somehow I doubt that though too and my mom was bi-polar and in the end she became drug addicted and her death was due to an accidental overdose.**" Her tone became extremely irritated. "**So I wouldn't be so quick to connect yourself to me by fate Sam, because if it is true-then fate has been real cruel to you.**" She got up off the bed altogether and walked to the balcony door.

Sam followed her and wrapped his arms around her from behind he lowered and rested his chin on her shoulder and nuzzled himself in her hair, making a memory with the scent of lilac that he smelled there, then he said. "**Fate has already been cruel to me, my own parents abandoned me-remember**?" "**Fate doesn't scare me and neither does being close to you.**" He said as he squeezed her tighter.

**Author's Note: Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Here's another chapter I hope you enjoy. It is nice to know how this story connects with the other New Yorker's like me; ha-ha. Thank you all for your support and encouragement with this story. I greatly appreciate it. Please forgive all my mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters.**

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 6**

Mercedes listened to his words as he squeezed her tightly. In that moment she felt ashamed of how angry she had always become thinking about her family's situation. But right now she was thinking about Sam and what a wonderful man he seemed to have become despite life giving him his own devastating blow as well.

"**Sam, I am sorry about what you went through with your parents.**" She considered, now was a good time to do some consoling herself-for a change. "**How did you survive it?**" She spoke as she rotated her body within his arms until she was now facing him. "**I survived because that was the point.**" Sam said as he let go of her and instead he held on to the handles of the balcony door, which had been located on either side of her. "**I was hurt...**" He continued his eyes no longer making contact with hers as he allowed them to drift to a spot on the balcony door. **"I mean, I was a little kid."** He started pulling on the door handles tightening his grip until his arms fully extended and his biceps became visible through his shirt. He began to shift his body weight from one arm to the other as he swung from side to side on his heels.

Mercedes watched him as he seemed to revert back to a small child as soon as the subject matter had been brought up. His mannerisms seemed so childlike, in even, just this small action that his body was performing. **"I choose to believe that my parents loved me." "I choose to believe that they only wanted what was best for me, and I choose to believe that in their heart of hearts they were afraid that my staying with them would no longer be the best thing for me."** He hunched his shoulders and looked at her again as he had spoken. After a couple of silent moments he spoke again. **"I suppose you think that it is a foolish way to look at it-I've heard other people tell that to me before."** He said lowering his head again as he waited to hear her join in the endless chorus of naysayers.

She lifted up one of her hands and placed it on his arm holding on to his bicep. Upon feeling this renewed physical connection he made eye contact with her again. **"Can you teach me that?"** She asked. **"Teach you what?"** **"Teach me how to see life the way that you do."** She sighed. **"I really want to."** Mercedes felt a small crack in her voice escape her lips, it was a plea, and this pleading came out of a place of stillness in her soul, a place of peace that she had not dared rely on in a long time. **"Can I be foolish with you, please?" "I prefer to...will you teach me?"** Then she smiled an apprehensive smile.

"**Those smiles...as if I could deny her smile anything?"** He thought. **"Aren't we perfect for each other-we can be complicatedly foolish together."** He said. **"I like foolishly complicated"** she said as they both laughed. **"Mercedes, I'm going to kiss you again."** His voice became playful. **"You'd better"** was her response as she initiated this kiss herself.

**XXXXX**

"**I'm hungry!"** He groaned. **"So go get yourself something to eat!" "Come with me!"** **"No"** **"It's been five hours!"** He said with a whining tone. **"I'm going back to my room."** She challenged. **"No!"** **"Shhhhhh"** She demanded sharply. **"No kid speaks that way!"** "**What did I say? Shhhh, I only wish I would have caught it from the beginning, but at least I didn't miss this-Pacey Witter is the gold standard for a man being in love!**" "**I would be too if I had writers-can we eat?"** "**Order in room service!**" She offered him a solution. **"You have been staring at him for hours; I'm jealous."** "**Then I will go back to my room so that Pacey and I can be alone together.**" **"No-but a marathon, really?**" "**Seasons three and four are a love affair of epic proportions, you know what is so wonderful about them, they were just meant to be. They have the ultimate couple name.**" "**Couple name?**" "**Yeah, who cares about Brangelina, Bennifer, or Kimye-amateurs, but Joey and Pacey equals Jo ****ey ****or ****Pac****ey****, they are already together the same name—its true love, its destiny.**" She mused. "**Didn't you say he slept with a teacher?**" "**He was finding himself, now shhhhh, this is it.**" She turned the volume up on the television set so that it was the only sound in the room.

"**You remember that?**" Joey asked. "**I remember everything**" was Pacey's response. Immediately Mercedes screamed and grabbed a pillow and hugged it close to her chest and buried her face within it. Sam looked at her with amazement "**But Dawson's Creek, really?**" "**Look Sam if we are going to do this thing then you have got to understand that Pacey and I are involved. He has gotten me through some dark times and some lonely nights.**"

"**Next time don't cough your room number at me if you're going to hassle me about my TV viewing choices; and you should also know that he has spoiled me for just ordinary guys-so, you are going to have to bring your "A" game-for this!"** She then made a hand gesture that extended from the top of her head down to the bottom of her feet. She tapped him on the shoulder as she got up off the bed and went to use the bathroom.

The phone to Sam's room rang and when he picked it up it was Mike. "**Have you been in your room this whole time? Bash and I are going to go out and grab a late dinner you wanna come?"** "**I'm starving**" was Sam's first thought; then Mike spoke again. "**We have to cross a rope bridge tomorrow, over a pond; so you'd better keep your strength up!**"

Just then Mercedes came out of the bathroom and saw Sam speaking on the telephone. "**It's Mike**" he mouthed and she nodded her head in understanding. Sam began rubbing big circles on his belly. Mercedes rolled her eyes and then nodded her head at him as if her were her son.

"**Yes!**" "**We'll eat**" Sam exclaimed loudly. "**We who?"** Mike responded. "**Me, I said me**" "**You said me eat?**" Mike questioned. "**Where are we going?"** Sam asked. "**The front desk has a menu for a place not too far from here, that they say, has real good Mexican food. Have you seen the new kid?**" Sam looked over at Mercedes and pulled the phone slightly away from his hear so she could hear Mike as well. "**What?**" "**I said have you seen the new kid around- do you think she would want to go?**" "**Have I seen her?**" Sam repeated.

She shook her head **"No"** while Sam shook his head **"Yes." **Mercedes knew it she saw it glimmer in Sam's eyes right at that moment. "**He was going to do it.**" She thought. Sam spoke into the receiver but he kept his eyes focused on her. "**Yes, I've seen her, I am seeing her, I like seeing her, and I plan on continuing to see her, we're a couple now.**" Sam said. **"What?!**" Mike answered. Sam could hear Bash in the background "**What is it?**" Bash asked Mike. "**Sam and Mercedes are now a couple**." Mike responded to Bash. "**Damn! Sam moves as fast as Figgins**" Bash shouted. "**Cut it out."** Sam replied and then continued to make his point. "**No Figgins, just me** (Sam said confidently) **we will meet you downstairs in the lobby in a few minutes."** Sam hung up the phone never taking his eyes off of Mercedes.

"**You told them, just like that, you told them."** "**I know it's not a big gesture like painting how I feel about you on a wall but it's a start.**" Sam said as he stood up and walked over to Mercedes. Mercedes stared at Sam for a few minutes. "**Wait that happens in the following episode... you've seen Dawson's Creek before!"** Sam shrugged "**What can I say; Pacey **_**is**_** the gold standard, right?"** Sam then took her hand and held it in his; he turned around and turned off the television, then led her towards the room door. Then he whispered in her ear "**But, we are about to go Platinum."** Then out the door they went.

As they stepped off the elevator together Sam was speaking to Mercedes "**I like 'Samcedes as our couple name-it has promise.**" He said. The guys, who had noticed that they were holding hands, approached them quickly because Mike and Bash couldn't wait to speak their minds on this situation. "**Well look at this..."** Bash spoke up. "**I guess now Sam; at least, we know which member of the team jumps the gun!**" Bash laughed as he spoke. "**Wholeheartedly"** Sam replied. "**I am truly frightened for my spot in this team."** Mike said. "**Sam what kind of salesman are you that you got her to jump on board in two days though!"** "**Some things you just know to be right that's all.**" Sam continued answering all of their questions as they went to the front of the hotel to catch a cab to the restaurant.

"**You're awfully quiet-once you said yes to him you have nothing to say to the rest of us**." Bash directed his conversation to Mercedes now. "**Well if I said 'yes' to him that probably means I would say 'no' to the rest of you.**" She quickly quipped. "**Ouch**" Bash and Mike spoke in unison as they all got into the cab and off to the restaurant they went.

**XXXXX**

As the Quesadillas, Enchiladas, and the Burritos were all disappearing off everyone's plates, and their third round of Pineapple Margaritas had almost, also, become a distant memory; the loud laughter from the corner table in the back-the one which sat, the future venture capitals-who simply could not control themselves, now filled the somewhat empty restaurant. "**That's his name!"** Mike shouted. Sebastian had been laughing so hard that he lost the ability to create any sound from his mouth or throat. Sam had tears pouring down his face and Mercedes had been laughing so hard she could hardly breathe and finish the rest of her conversation. "**No lie, his mother sent him a birthday card from back home and it was in his mail and I was sorting it for him. His name is 'Princi', and his middle name is 'Pal'. PrinicPal!" ** She roared with laughter again as she said "**P's.**" "**PrinicPal Figgins - I can't**." Mike howled. "**What would Ryder say, hahaha.**" Sam said while hitting the table with his hand and laughing. "**I have to be the one to tell him. Mercy you have to let me be the one to tell him.**" Sam said pleadingly.

Bash spoke up "**That is a good name."** "**What?"** they all responded. "**No, not PrinciPal-but Mercy, that is cool, for her. I like it**" Bash said. "**It's not for you to like it-it is for Mercedes to like it**." Sam said taking another drink. "**I like Cedes better**." said Mike. "**Hey you can't call my girlfriend your own nickname.**" "**Why not?"** Mike snapped. "**I don't feel comfortable with that."** Sam said as he put his glass back down. "**Get your own woman and call her whatever you want."**

"**I've got a woman her name's Tina she is gonna meet me in New York in a few months.**" Mike said then he lowered his voice right before he took a drink from his glass. "**I can't' wait.**" "**What about you Bash? Do you have someone?"** Mercedes asked. "**Let's just say there is this hot serving wench that I have my eye on back in the city, I think it would be good.**" "**It's not going to be good for long if you keep referring to her as a serving wench."** Mercedes added while shaking her head. Mercedes glanced down at her cellphone and reminded them all of the time. Bash requested the waiter to bring the check over so that they could leave. "**Don't worry Mercy, I've got us**." Sam said. Once the check came to the table Mike, Bash, and Sam anted up. Sam began counting the money "**Hold up, I am not that drunk-how come a table of financial gurus can't completely pay for the entire bill; including the tip?**" "**You see Sam..."** Bash started "**I didn't think that we needed to bring that much cash when Figgins said all-inclusive.**" "**Save it.**" Sam interjected cutting him off and just making up the difference while Mike shook his head and Mercedes giggled.

"**Let's get out of here so that I can beat you guys at the rope bridge later today."** Mike jumped up and felt a tad bit dizzy. "**Damn Margaritas**" He chided as they all stumbled out of the door and looked for another cab.

**XXXXX**

Ryder found himself sitting in the hallway of a law firm, after hours. The frustration he felt for having to give up the rest of his trip simply because Figgins pulled his name out of a hat was reaching volcanic proportions. He had to miss his trip and now he is sitting outside of the meeting like he's been banished to the kids table during Thanksgiving dinner.

He slumped down in the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. He began to close his eyes when the voices got louder in the room. "**You made a deal with me and I want to see a return on my investment.**" Ryder heard. "**Why are you in such a hurry, I said that I would take care of you; didn't I?**" Figgins answered. "**I practically gift wrapped what you wanted when I gave it to you-even though I know your desire for it was, shall we say, not ethical by any stretch of the imagination." "What I do with what I want is my business not yours." **Figgins voice shouted so much so that it startled Ryder and he had already been listening. Ryder tried to silently move his chair a little closer in the hopes of hearing a little more clearly. "**I don't think I will be able to keep the other one quiet for much longer.**" Ryder heard the man say. "**Then you may need a more permanent solution. I pay you quite well to dispose of any of my left over garbage in a discreet fashion**." Figgins tone became more controlled. "**Biscuits and baskets are easier then caskets.**" The man said. "**For what I provide, to you, it should all be easy. Now, stop with these emergency calls, I want the divorce finalized and the other situation taken care of. I have a desire to be happy, and I have found what I want to ensure my happiness, for now, and no matter what it takes-I will have it.**" Ryder heard footsteps approaching the door so he quickly moved his seat back and pretended to be asleep but the last thing he heard the man say was "**Happiness is a fleeting thing it disappears as quickly as a church bells ring.**"

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Sorry if this is riddled with mistakes I wrote this late at night after a long day and I cannot keep my eyes open. I still hope you enjoy though. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 7**

Early this morning the Figgin's four, while lacking Ryder, were driven to their destination in a van that met them at the resort at 8:30am. This was quite early for a group of hung-over individuals but behind all the sun glasses and the nodding off to sleep in the back seat they all made it safely to their destination. It was going to be a hot day, even this early in the morning every one of them could feel it.

As they all stood there listening to their guides explain this activity and what they could hope to gain from overcoming their own personal voices; especially when it challenged them that they could not continue. Mercedes started to feel the sweat fall from under her hairline. She grabbed a scrunchie from the pocket of her extremely, well-fitted jean shorts and scooped up all of her hair and tried to corral the full crinkly mass into one centralized point, exposing the nape of her neck and her now bare shoulders-due to the off the shoulder emerald green peasant blouse she was wearing. She placed the scrunchie around her hair which resulted in a very high, thick pony tail.

Sam who was standing behind her a couple of feet watched her every move behind his shades and he found himself quite turned on by it; although he never moved a muscle until he placed his hands into the pocket of his sweats; once she had completed the task. They were standing under the Cottonwood trees at this point but they were about to climb up these old wooden stairs which crisscrossed diagonally up between the trees all the way to the makeshift platform that rested on the top.

Mike and Sebastian both eagerly offered Mercedes the opportunity to go first but Sam insisted that they go ahead instead; the last thing Sam needed was for those two guys to be watching Mercy ascend up several flights of stairs.

Once they all made it to the top they got a much better view, first of all Mike had gotten it wrong it was a lake and not a pond. Secondly, the ropes course transformed as it made its journey to the opposite side. It first began as a giant net that you would have to walk through until you reached your first marker. The second leg of the course was to walk across holding only on to "handle" ropes and walking on suspended but not attached wooden planks. The third leg the wooden planks were gone and instead only these little metal rings were present to put your feet into, as you continued to hold on to the "handle" ropes. The fourth leg you had to walk across just on one suspended rope for your base, but you were still granted the "handle" ropes and lastly you had to then give up your side "handle" ropes and pull your body across the base rope hand over hand until you reached the other platform.

They would have to go one at a time but, they had not completed the task until they, not only, completed the rope course themselves but made sure that all of their team members completed it as well. All of this was required to be accomplished as they were suspended 50 feet off the ground and above an aquamarine colored lake that the ropes hung over. This required them to do this with a life vest on in case any of them fell off the rope and landed in the water.

Sam grabbed a vest from off of the platform—strapped and secured it onto his body. "**I'll go first**." He said as he made his way through the first leg of the trip—the netting. Sam's height was clearly and advantage for him because he was able to make it through the first leg of the course in what seemed like four strides. Once he had moved on to the second leg Bash entered into the netting for his first leg. Mike and Mercedes still on the platform started shouting words of encouragement as they strapped on their own vests.

Sam was walking on those wooden planks quite easily it seemed and his confidence helped to calm down those who followed him. "**Look at him**." Mike said to Mercedes. "**I have been watching him for months and let me tell you that kid is a natural born leader.**" Mike continued. "Mercedes didn't say anything but she began to strain to see Sam who was much further off in the distance. She believed he may have been close to the next leg of his journey. Watching him navigate with such ease brought back how he had decided to live his life, how he chose how to believe certain things.

Mercedes couldn't be quite sure if she were proud of him or simply jealous. What she had determined was that he was the type of man that she would want to truly get to know and learn from. "**I'm up**" Mike shouted as Bash made it to the second leg. "**See you on the other side**" She said to him and patted him on the back.

Mercedes raised her right hand and raised it over her eyebrows almost like a salute as she strained some more to find Sam in this wobbly rope line. There was a strong wind gust or two every once in a while, but she enjoyed that compared to the life vest which she felt had been beginning to stick to her body at this point.

Mike was done and in the net Mercedes went with each step Mercedes felt her own body weight pull down on the ropes under her feet and the ropes which surrounded her narrowed and closed her in, so much so that she could almost not lift her foot again from behind and place it in front of her. She slowed down her pace and methodically pushed through the ever tightening netting that had been pulling her in.

Sam was now at the last rung of his journey he had his body hanging down with his feet crossed over the rope at one end and his hands, moving on the rope above his head, hand over fist. He pulled himself across and across. He used his own little mantra to build a rhythm and focus his breathing with. "**Mer-cy, Mer-cy, Mer-cy**" he whispered to himself as he continued to pull himself until he reached the platform and allowed his legs to fall and hang limp first and then jumped down off of the rope and landed on the platform itself.

Sebastian found himself making most of this journey with his eyes closed, and not because he thought it would win him any points from having to use a higher skill level but because he was so terrified of the height and the was trying so hard not to allow anyone see him battle that fear again today. He had already been so embarrassed that Mercedes had to help him the last time up the rock wall. "**He was not allowing that to happen again.**" He thought to himself.

The rope rings kept twisting under Bash's feet but he finally was able to navigate it and found himself pulling himself hand over fist on the rope trying to finish this course. Sam was yelling at him that "**You could do it!" ** And "**C'mon you've got this!"** that Mike started cheering for Bash too from behind him, Mike had just begun the rings himself, to "**Get movin'**" and "**You're almost there**!" The more that Mike shouted the more his head began to hurt "**Damn, Margaritas**" he thought as he continued to push through.

As Mercedes began walking on the wooden planks she picked up her speed. She then found herself hearing her inner voice saying to her "**This is too hard, this course is too long."** But she quickly dismissed it. She began to glance downward and take in the beauty of the lake itself as she continued on her journey.

Bash had made it to the platform and he was greeted by a big pat on the back and hug from Sam. Sam began screaming for Mike to "**C'mon**" as he then looked passed Mike to see where Mercedes was on this course. Mike was practically running across the singular rope base with the rope "handle" and proceeded to crawling across the underbelly of the rope but he kept his body extremely close to the rope and moved so quickly he looked like he had been an animal in a former life.

Mercedes was having a hard time with the rings because they were quite narrow and her wide sneakers could barely grab a foothold. She being determined as she was continued to press on when she finally passed it, she slowed down her pace again and walked along the singular rope until she got to the end.

Mike had finally landed on the platform to the joy of the other guys. A group hug ensued and then all of the chants became directed at Mercedes. "**Come on new kid, don't give up now**!" Bash shouted. "**Don't make me tell P's that you're a slacker when he is not around!**" Mike screamed. Mercedes was now at the point of pulling herself across the final rope. She felt her nerves getting to her from the fear of the rope pulling her down. She moved her hands and dragged her lower body behind her.

She was moving slowly but she was moving and every once in a while Sam thought he saw a strange look on her face. She would extend her arm out far behind her head and reach for another part of the rope with her other hand and she continued to drag the rest of her lower body behind her. "**C'mon baby**" Sam called out.

Mercedes could feel it with every pull and it took everything not to scream out loud. At one point she stopped, she had to hold her breath as she gritted her teeth and held her sweat filled forehead against the rope to get herself together. After a few minutes she began moving again. The guys continued to call after her and encouraged her to keep going.

The rope was dragging along her right thigh and tightening against her leg right under the back of her knee and right at the tip of her calf. Every time she attempted to move forward the burn from the rope tightened over the same area and continued to slide skin off of her body as she moved. "**Shorts were not a good idea today.**" She thought, as she stopped again to simply-will herself to continue beyond her pain.

Each time she reached forward the hot rope from the sun's rays allowed more and more damage each time she moved. "**C'mon baby**" She could hear Sam's voice in the distance. "**Sweetheart you're almost here!**" He yelled again. She tried with everything she could to focus on his voice and not what she was feeling because at this point she truly believed that she was feeling blood trickle down her leg.

Sam was worried now she seemed to stop a few times too many. He thought he saw her grimace but he couldn't be sure, not with the angle that the sun had now taken as it continually moved across the sky.

"**Just a little bit farther, baby-come to me."** He spoke again. "**Are you guys going to be all mushy like that for the rest of this trip?**" Bash asked. Then Sam just punched him in the arm while never taking his eyes off of Mercedes. "**Cedes, it's all you!**" Mike cried out. Sam then looked at Mike. "**I know-I know you will talk to me about my nickname for her later.**" Mike conceded.

Sam then pushed Bash over on his knees and used his back to step up and grab onto the elevated rope again. Sam hoisted his body up on top of it as if he was sitting on it and then leaned forward and pulled himself toward her. Again with the length of his body that only took about three moves. Sam leaned all the way down on his belly so that his mouth was now right near her ear and she was now looking up at him.

Sam saw the stress and strain in her face and the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "**What is it baby?"** He spoke but he did not touch her. Sam might not have known Mercedes very long but he knew she would not want him to help her as much as just be there for her. "**How much farther is it?"** She bit the corner of her bottom lip after she spoke.

"**About three feet, four at the most- I know that you can do this. Do you know it?**" He asked as he gently nuzzled his head against hers "**My lilac lady**" He continued. "**What?**" She asked as she looked at him. "**I'll tell you all about it once you come down from here**." He said then he kissed her on her forehead and began to back away from her. "**C'mon sweetie, I'm waiting for you**."

Mercedes lowered her body and gave herself some slack on the rope as she moved forward while Sam was moving backwards over and ahead of her. He used his legs to guide him and he placed one of his feet onto the rope and slid backwards until he reached that point and then started again. Looking at her closely now he saw that grimace again, but she kept moving forward.

When Sam reached the end and was again over the platform he lifted his leg over the rope and dropped back down to the platform. As Mercedes made it all the way to the platform as well, it was only when she lowered her bottom half did he see it. She had a rope burn the extended from behind her right knee down to her calf and she had been bleeding profusely from it.

"**MERCY**" He shouted and he grabbed her by the waist and helped to lower her down to the platform itself. Bash and Mike looked at each other in shock at how much pain that she had to endure to get through that one part of the course.

Mercedes was out of breath but she was content that she had finished on her own. "**Why are you guys looking at me like that?**" She said. "**At least we all completed the course.**" She spoke again. Sam looked at her leg and helped her to her feet and helped her down the stairs again and into the van to go back to the resort. "**Well, she lived up to her first prize, she really is determined.**" Mike said as they were on the way back to the resort.

**XXXXX**

Sam had made it clear to the guys in the van that whatever the activity that was planned for bonding this afternoon-they can count Mercedes and him out. "**He was going to take care of her leg and find a hospital if necessary.**" Mercedes kept trying to get Sam not to worry so much, but it was simply too late for that.

Sam helped her across the lobby and into the elevator. "**What's your room number?**" "**I'm in 412**" She said as she started putting a bit more of her weight on his shoulder. "**I can handle this on my own.**" She said. "**Just stop**" He said as he reached his hand into the pocket of her shorts and retrieved her card key for her room.

Sam opened her door and then in one motion he swept her up off of her feet and carried her through the threshold into her room and closed the door behind him with his leg. He carried her straight into her bathroom, sat her down on the toilet seat and began running a warm bath in the tub. He quickly went and called room service and asked them for any Antihistamines, bandages, and painkillers like Tylenol and have them all brought upstairs right away.

Sam came back to find her attempting to take off her sneakers and he tapped the back of her hand away. "**I'm trying to take care of you; so just let me do it**." He kneeled down beside her and began taking off her sneakers and socks. He then grabbed a hand towel and began to wet it with cold water. He took the hand towel and began to pat away the dripping blood so that he could get a good look at the wound itself.

Mercedes winced and closed her eyes as he began at the tip of her calf and lightly tapped away the blood. He moved gently behind her knee and attempted to reach her thigh but she was going to have to stand for that. "**Put you hand on my shoulder to help you keep your balance.**" He said. Sam then lifted her hurt leg slightly off of the floor and placed her foot on one of his knees. He proceeded to fold the towel over on itself to find a cleaner spot and he stuck his head between her legs and encircled himself behind her leg as he pressed the cool cloth against the back of her leg again moving further up and cleaning more of the wound. He slid his hand up the back of her leg to help keep her steady.

Although Mercedes was in pain the eroticism of this moment did not escape her. "**Sam, I can take care of it really.**" "**I know you can-but I will**." He answered as he blew cool air trail from his lips along the bottom of the wound on her leg all the way to the top of it behind her thigh.

Mercedes felt dizzy right at that moment "**If he doesn't stop this she would surely pass out.**" There was a knock on the door Sam gently rested her foot on the floor and turned off the water so that the tub would not overflow. He went to the door and retrieved all of the elements that he had requested and placed the do not disturb sign on the door before closing it again. Sam poured a glass of water and brought her the glass and the pill (he gave her the Tylenol to take right now) so that it could begin to ease her pain. Once she had done so he stared at her for a few minutes. "**What is it?"** She asked as she tried to keep her balance since she was still standing.

Sam slowly closed his eyes and then sighed as he opened them before he spoke. "**I'm going to have to help you out of your shorts and underwear.**" He said this time never even blinking while he spoke. Mercedes felt herself swallow quickly. "**Huh?**" "**Your shorts fit you well. It will hurt if you try to pull them off on your own. I am going to have to help you.**" Again he spoke without taking his eyes off of hers or blinking at all.

Sam watched Mercedes eyes move from side to side and she was contemplating this information. "**Mercedes, I am going to be very honest with you. I doubt this would be something you expected happening so soon in our relationship so I understand your hesitancy. I also didn't see this happening this way either, and I am not going to lie, I will probably enjoy this way more than I should considering the kind of pain that you are in-but I meant what I told you before-I am a safe person for you, you can trust me to only do what is necessary to help you."** He said.

Mercedes took one of her hands and covered her face with it while she was trying to figure out how she could have possibly ended up in this situation today. She then heard him as he started speaking again. "**Mercy, look at me..." ** She moved her hand away from her face and looked into his eyes as he began speaking again. **"No matter what thought may come into my mind, the truth is that, I want you to be completely healthy when we take that step, because the things I want to do with you will take a great deal of stamina on both of our parts**."

Mercedes covered her eyes again and burst into laughter right along with Sam. "**Fine**" she said. Sam then moved his hands toward her waist and lifted up the tail end of her blouse and reached in and unbuttoned her shorts and then he took hold of the zipper and pulled it down all the way. He then wrapped his right arm around her back and had his hand slide down the inside of her shorts and tried to dislodge it from her underwear and skin gently.

Mercedes pressed forward into him slightly as his hand slid past her behind to loosen them from around her body until he felt there was enough wiggle room to slide it down her legs with the minimalistic amount of touching her leg. In fact he slid his hand down her thigh as a covering so that the denim did not hurt or touch her at all. He slid it down all the way until he was able to allow her foot the freedom to lift up out of it; then he did the same with the other side of her shorts.

Sam then once he achieved that victory quickly kissed her on the cheek and said "**I'm going in!**" She sucked her teeth as she hit him on the upper arm and still tried not to lose her balance. He smiled and then only looking at her eyes and never actually looking at her body he slid both hands into her panties at the hips and slid them down the back as far as he could first. He then slid his hands around the front, he caught a feeling of pubic hair and then he lifted his eyes to the heavens and took a deep breath. He was trying desperately not to allow the bulge which was beginning to grow rapidly not to become too noticeable in the sweatpants that he was wearing.

Sam knew that all bets were off when he now had to lower himself in front of her again and pull them down and help her to step out of them. His face would be right where he would want it to be and she was just going to have to forgive the man in him for taking a small maybe not so small peek.

"**Sam**" Mercedes called out once she felt himself lowering towards the floor. "I'm trusting you" She said as a reminder. All Sam could do was nod his head vigorously, if he had opened his mouth, at all, he could not guarantee where his tongue would end up.

Sam closed his eyes the closer he got and a hint of another flavor "**Dear God was that Strawberry?"** He thought. He quickly lifted her leg almost too high he felt her wobble. "**I'm sorry**" He said as he quickly ascended back up to her face. Sam covered Mercedes with a towel as she attempted to take off her shirt and bra, but the shirt was harder to take off then she expected and so he had to take her bra off for her as well. Sam stood in front of her and wrapped his arms around her body to her back and began to unhook her green strapless bra that had perfectly matched the underwear that were now lying on the floor. Once he unhooked it and freed the mounds of flesh that resided there he heard himself intake some air-it was a gasp.

Mercedes heard it too. "**I am...I'm so sorry**" He quickly spoke. "**But they are so beautiful**." Sam placed his left hand to his forehead for a moment. "**I am sorry, I'm human, and that just- I couldn't help it.**" Sam moved around behind her and placed one of his arms under her arm and used the other to slide his hand down her hip and slightly lift her into the bathtub. Being this close to her naked body was truly, a dream come true, and although he may have tried to be a gentleman the truth was "**He was all about this!**" He thought.

Once Mercedes was fully submerged in the tub she asked him to pass her the bottle from off of the vanity and her washcloth. He picked up the bottle and noticed it was a lilac body wash, he so wanted to kiss that bottle for many fond memories but that would be weird. "**I'll wait outside until you need help getting out.**" He said as he left the bathroom and closed the door.

All Sam could think about is that "**When she comes out...when I have to help her out, she is going to be wet, slippery, and smelling of lilac. Oh Lord help us all!** **But also thank you for giving me a really great day." **He smiled from ear to ear and lay down on her bed thinking about how loving her was the best choice his heart had ever made.

Author's Note: Please review.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: This story has just taken an ugly and dark turn (not meant for younger audiences) and I will understand if you would not like to continue. This is about hurt and comfort but there are also going to be some dark times approaching. I wanted this to be the nice romances that I am used to writing but this story is challenging me to find to find happiness and love amid some extremely challenging circumstances. **

**I also feel the need to apologize because my imagination can be deep, long, and wide and so the small Samcedes story you intended to read also has more character development of other characters as well. I don't want you to feel like I am holding you hostage- because I don't know how long this will be, so you are also free to bow out gracefully if you would like as well; but this is becoming more intricate than I myself even originally thought. I am only hoping I can do it justice. School starts again for me yay. So I will try to post two chapters today if I can.**

**P.S. Thank you to all my reviewers and the lovely PMs that I am getting, you guys are the best and I am truly humbled by your outpouring of love and support-to God be the Glory. Please forgive any mistakes (by the way if anyone is willing to be an editor, you know fresh eyes, for me please contact me by a PM) Thanks. Anna**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 8**

"**Ryder- I want you to meet someone"** Figgins said as he kicked Ryder's outstretched feet. Ryder who had been feigning sleep provided a small yawn as he stood up from the chair to meet the man Figgins was introducing him to. The man was as big as a bulldozer but Ryder recognized him. He was the son of a dead politician and that was enough clout to make him pretty high up in this particular law firm. Ryder recognized him from old newspaper articles. He was tall and obese so much so that he made these slightly congestive snoring noises while breathing even when standing still.

"**This is Mr. Davis.**" Figgins said. "**I suppose you will need a whole team of lawyers for just him alone huh Figgins?**" Davis' deep voice reverberated in his congested chest when he spoke as he reached out and attempted to shake Ryder's hand. Ryder was puzzled by the statement and yet he thought it was probably best not to pursue it.

"**He is one of my group- one who I sense I may have more in common with than most."** Figgins spoke to Davis. "**Uh huh**" Davis nodded his head. "**In common...?**" Ryder queried. "**Where are you from Ryder?**" Davis asked. "**Vegas sir.**" "**Sin City**" Figgins snickered "**I have been watching you for a few months now and I think we may share in the same type of, shall we say-proclivities Ryder. I think I can share something with you because I think that you will have a genuine appreciation for it.** "

"**It took me years of loyalty and now you are just going to open up to this kid for nothing?**" Davis asked. "**Are you going to tell me how much you make a year?**" Ryder asked excitedly. Davis guffawed and Figgins held a questionable look on his face before he answered "**More than you will ever see in your lifetime if you don't listen to what I am going to tell you right now. If you want a reputation destroy your enemies, if you want to be powerful destroy your friends, and if you want to be feared never allow anyone to recognize-in which category they actually belong.**"

Ryder tried to comprehend what Figgins meant in light of all of the teamwork teachings he had been shoving down their throat for months. "**Secrets are a powerful tool if used properly**." Figgins said. "**Especially amongst friends**" Davis interjected chuckling. "**Amongst friends?**" Ryder was trying to figure out what this was all about-it seemed odd and cryptic. "**Just because they're friends today doesn't mean they're friends to stay.**" Davis' voice tone turned oddly cold. "**That's why I keep my friends on retainer so they have to keep my secrets.**" Figgins shot a cold glance at Davis. Ryder could feel the tension but he could not tell if it was directed toward Figgins or was it coming from him.

"**Ryder, let's grab a drink-I know a place.**" Figgins said. "**What's your type?**" Davis questioned. "**Excuse me?**" Ryder responded. **"Women**" Figgins spoke up. "**Oh, you know the usual sexy, breathing...**" "**HAHAHAHA, that's funny what he said**." Davis laughter could not be contained "**The irony**" he continued. Figgins shot Davis another stronger but dirtier look and then he baited them to follow him outside. "**Ryder, I am going to show you a good time**." Figgins spoke as they left the building.

**XXXXX**

The bathroom door swung open much to the surprise of Sam who immediately sat up on the bed. Mercedes had the towel wrapped around her body and it was tucked in at the top under her left arm her full tresses now cascading down around her shoulders. Sam felt the air hitch in his throat as she was suddenly standing there in the light of the doorway and which made another small gasping sound of his surprise.

"**Mercy, are you alright? Why didn't you let me help you out of the tub?**" He said. "**Remember when I told you that I could take care of myself. I have quite a high tolerance for pain Sam; out there on those ropes it was the heat that was getting to me-not the pain.**" She said. "**You mean that you really could have done it all by yourself...all of it?**" "**All of it**" was her blithe rebuttal. "**Well then..."** He began to ask "**Why did you let me...?"** His words trailed off and Sam's face took on a look of inconceivability as a blush slowly appeared.

"**Well..."** A small smirk came across her face. "**After a while it became interesting to see, and feel, how you would handle my body. Have you ever been with a woman of color before Sam?"** She asked as she walked to her dresser opened the drawer and took out a jar of Strawberry scented lotion. She unscrewed the jar lid and collected some of its contents onto her fingertips and then proceeded to rub it into her palms.

Sam was mesmerized by her every move, especially in light of what she just revealed; and yet he still responded **"No"** in a dumbfounded manner, as he watched her lift her leg up and place her foot on the corner of the bed. She then took the substance and applied it on her feet & ankles first and then slid it up her leg to her calf rubbing and stroking it in long sensual strides until it covered her entire leg and upper thigh. Which Sam, could see quite clearly-due to the shortened length of the towel.

"**So then-why me?"** She asked as she repeated the same action from the small jar as she applied it to her other leg. "**Why am I your gateway into the unknown Sam?**" She watched as he thought about her question. "**I'll be your safe person Sam, you can tell me.**" She added.

Sam's mind was spinning he could not believe that he was about to have this conversation and yet he could appreciate it. He liked the realness of it. "**She is fearless**" he thought. "**That very first day I smelled the lilacs."** He said. "**Anybody can buy shower gel Sam."** She spoke in a somewhat, slightly condescending manner. "**But nobody wears it like you do**." He continued. "**I mean, of course, I have smelled that scent before but... (He paused slightly) you were the only person who wore it and it reminded me of... Lilacs used to grow in a field near the house where I used to live with my family. It reminded me of happier times long ago, and home. I have never made that connection before so no-no one wears it like you do.**" Mercedes felt butterflies in her stomach, but then Sam continued. **"I suppose I was first attracted to your hair."** He said as he stood up and continued speaking as he slowly walked around the bed towards her. **"I kept thinking how lovely it was and I had to stop myself from reaching out and touching it."** He spoke while looking at her and lifting his hand to her hair. **"May I?"** He asked. Mercedes saw sincerity in his eyes and allowed him the privilege by nodding.

Sam first took a few strands and gently rubbed them between his fingers, then using his full palm he began caressing it and stroking it more and more. "**But when you looked at me and smiled- I was gone. Then you spoke to me and I felt your kindness-I knew right then that if you'd have me, I'd be yours.**" He leaned in and kissed her. Mercedes pulled back and hunched her shoulders and nodded while cherishing his kiss on her lips. "**See that- my scent, my hair, my smile, my kindness, all of those things are wonderful, but you didn't mention my body."**

Sam eyes took on a smoldering look. "**What do you mean?"** He asked. "**I may not look like the typical "accepted" (she said as she made quotation marks with her fingers) body type known as beautiful on this planet but... that does not mean that I would want to settle for a man who isn't attracted to my body-just the way it is-and not as an afterthought or a concession-but a real attraction. I won't settle for anything less than that Sam because I believe that I deserve it.**" She said.

Sam's heart began pounding. "**If his trying to be a perfect gentleman, in any way, ruined this opportunity to be with Mercedes-romantically, because she thought he was not attracted to her body! Her body! He would never forgive himself.**" He thought. "**Did I pass?"** Sam asked timidly. "**You were so cute trying so hard not to do the wrong thing or say the wrong things. The sheer focus and determination you displayed made me believe that you were fighting a strong force Sam, and it took that much energy and exertion to counterbalance it. You were fighting distraction, distracted by my body and therefore, I choose to believe that you were, attracted to my body-so you passed.**" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"**Now get out of here and go get some rest.**" She said as she pointed to her room door. "**Wait! Don't you want me to apply the Antihistamine cream and the bandages?**" Sam asked in almost a pleading manner. "**No Sam that's enough testing for one day**." She spoke as she pushed him past her bed and out of her door. "**Goodnight**" she said and the door shut quickly behind him.

"**Goodnight**" Sam said into the crack of the door as it was quickly shutting him out. Sam turned around absolutely elated he started running down the hall to the elevator and actually did two somersaults and ended with a round-off in the hallway, his long legs coming down onto the ground just in time to be noticed by a maid who had just rounded the corner with her pushcart. Once Sam saw her he burst into laughter and ran into the stairway entrance instead.

**XXXXX**

Sam opened up the stairway door and entered the lobby. He was on his way to pick up anything from the front desk to keep in his new "**Places I have been with Mercy**" collection he was about to start, when he ran into Mike and Bash.

"**Sam, how is she?**" Mike asked. "**Yeah, the new kid doesn't need a real doctor does she?"** Bash questioned. "**No, she's fine, she is resting now."** There was a sigh of relief that all of them shared. "**How did the last bonding exercise go**?" **"Don't ask**" said Bash. "**No, Sam please ask..."** Mike spoke up. "**I said I was sorry.**" Bash continued. "**It was like this acting teacher and this trust thing and every time Bash fell I had to be there to catch him, no matter where he was in the room I had to catch him.**" "**Let me guess...Bash let you fall didn't he?" ** "**I only looked away for a minute.**" Bash tried to rationalize how it all went down. "**All it took was a minute didn't it Bash**." "**You really need to learn how to let things go-harboring is not a good thing.**" Bash mumbled. "**Listen, just make sure you are on time for the flight tomorrow**" Mike said. "**I am going to my room and call Tina**." Mike then left the two others standing in the lobby.

"**Do you want to get a drink at the bar?**" Bash asked. "**No, I'm good**." Sam replied. "**I am going to grab a couple of drinks and then rack up on the adult channel**" Bash raised his eyebrows. Sam just shook his head "**T.M.I. Bash, T.M.I. -I'll see you in the morning**" Sam said as he headed to the front desk.

**XXXXX**

Ryder was lit and he knew it. This club with its music pumping and the liquor flowing was the kind of place he had always heard about in New York but it was wilder then even he had expected. He had seen Davis (he was hard to miss) off in the corner along the back wall. He was paying some guy money. Ryder had already had five Gorilla Farts (Bacardi 151 and Wild Turkey 101) he was feeling nice. He stumbled along as women played in his hair and he allowed his hand to grope one or two as he walked toward or rather staggered toward one of the side rooms looking for the bathroom.

In the first room he made it to people were doing lines of cocaine and it was freely offered. He saw Figgins in that room partaking in the many offered lines of coke. Then he left and stumbled into another room where the lap dances were being performed, this room almost made Ryder forget that he even had to go to the bathroom. He watched what was unfolding for a little while and then he left and found another room.

This room was only a few steps away from where Davis had just been standing and paid the money to the gentleman. When Ryder attempted to go in the man forced Ryder away. "**I was just looking for the bathroom man!**" Ryder tried to defend himself as he was forced off into another direction further down the hall. Ryder eventually found the bathroom and took care of some much needed business, on his way back out he saw the door that he was not allowed to go into again-but this time Davis and the man were gone.

When Ryder walked toward the door he tried opening it with the knob checking to see if it was locked, but it freely opened. He quickly slipped into the room and closed the door behind him. The bass from the music in the front of the club was still reverberating through the floors and the walls in this room but this looked strange.

The first thing Ryder noticed was the temperature. "**Why was this room so cold?**" He thought. The room was dimly lit and there were stretchers inside- wall to wall stretchers. Ryder stumbled forward and he walked to one stretcher and there was a woman lying on it. She was covered with a sheet but she looked like she may have been naked. Ryder felt his buzz starting to fade as he tried to understand why she was there. She was silent. "**Was she dead?**" He thought. "**A drug overdose maybe?**" He thought. Ryder leaned in and touched her skin. She was cold but he could feel a pulse although it did seem slowed down. "**Hey lady!**" Ryder said to her trying to wake her up. **"Hey lady**." But she didn't move. Ryder needed to get some help for her, he wanted to find out why she was there and why no one seemed to be doing anything about it. It was then that Ryder heard the door knob start to turn.

Ryder ran and hid behind the door which was now opening he heard the congestive snoring again and then he heard him speak. "**Just the way you like them- oh here, I know you prefer to use these.** " **I am going to wait in the car until you are finished-plausible deniability and all.**" Ryder's drunken stupor had immediately cleared as he saw Figgins enter the room holding sets of handcuffs in his hands. The door closed behind him and Figgins never looked back. Instead he moved directly toward the stretcher and he began handcuffing her to the arms to the side rails of the bed, then her legs.

Ryder was frozen in fear and disbelief. "**Was this their mentor?**" "**The man who was molding and shaping them?"** He thought. Ryder felt sick. He moved slowly to try to open the door and find help fast. His whole body shook in disgust as Figgins stripped off his clothes and pulled the sheet up covering her head as he exposed her vagina and entered her grunting and cackling the whole time. Ryder threw open the door to run out and within moments of his exit he was punched in the face and had fallen to the floor knocked out by the same man Davis had paid earlier. The man simply re-closed the door and Figgins never missed a beat.

**XXXXX**

Sam was so excited this morning standing again on the train platform. It was as if he had been enduring this horrible nightmare but now he finally had awakened. He stood there, briefcase and two Hazelnut Macchiatos in a tray in his hand. "**The next downtown number 2 train will arrive in 2 minutes**" Sam lean out a little and watched the train approaching. "**She was going to be there, it was going to be like it used to be, only this time better-because she was now his girlfriend too.**"

The loud sound of the train applying its breaks as it pulled into the station had nothing on his pounding heart when he saw her sitting in her regular seat and her purse sitting in the seat next to her; she was waiting for him too. Sam walked in and sat down then he leaned over and kissed her "**Good morning**" he said with a smile. "**Good morning**" He extended his hand and she took her coffee. "**Thank you**" She smiled. He sat his briefcase on the floor between his legs along with the tray and he again felt the warmth of his thigh touching hers. Sam took a sip of his coffee and then spoke. "**I think today is going to be a great day.**" It was then that she interlocked her free arm into his.

**Author's Note: Please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Here is the second chapter I promised for today. Please be cautious when reading because it could contain triggers. This story is fiction – just because certain characters take certain actions this in no means is an endorsement of their choices had any of this occurred in a real life scenario. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 9**

When Ryder woke up his head was pounding and his body aching it was the first thing he noticed but the second thing that he noticed was much more prevalent. "**Where was he? This wasn't his bed or sheets.**" He rolled over and his leg bumped into something. He looked and it there was a woman in bed with him. Ryder sat up immediately. He looked around and saw that he was in a motel, the worst looking seediest motel mind you that he had ever seen.

He had only seen the woman's back and her long brown hair that hung down. **"What is going on? How did I end up here? And who is this?"** He jumped out of bed to find himself completely clothed in his birthday suit. He grabbed his underwear off of the floor and his clothes from hanging on the back of a chair and began to immediately get dressed.

"**Hey you**" Ryder said as he pulled up his pants and zipped them up. "**Hey you...do you know where we are?'**' She did not respond. Ryder walked over to the other side of the bed while pulling his undershirt on over his head. He leaned down toward her and pulled back the sheet to uncover a little more of her face. "**Hey lady?"** He said but stopped. "**Hey lady?"** he thought. "**Last night – the club- Figgins!**"

At that moment Ryder could not contain himself and he ran to the bathroom and threw up several times. He was washing out his mouth in the sink when he heard her moan. He ran outside and saw her she was trying to sit up but she was wincing, and now he could see there was some blood on the sheets. "**Who are you?**" He asked "**How did we get here?**" He continued.

The young lady began to cry a stream of tears rolled down her face. "**What did you do to me?"** She asked. "**Wait-this was not me...I was knocked out with something and I just woke up here-I don't even know where here is!"** She started gasping and retching "**I'm going to be sick**" She said as she began to get out of bed but she doubled over in pain she tried to find her footing and Ryder tried to reach out to help her but since she was naked she avoided his touch ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Ryder could hear the retching and vomiting coming from the bathroom and he began looking through the drawers of the room to find out any information about where he was. In the top nightstand drawer he found some small brochures and realized that they were in Fort Lee, New Jersey. In the bottom drawer when he opened it he saw his own cell phone.

Ryder got a sickening feeling in his stomach, when he unlocked the phone he found pictures of himself doing things to this woman, they were taken-in this room and on that very bed, but they looked odd-stills, not video, and they seemed awkwardly staged.

He slid through the pictures and they were seven in all, and each one more compromising than the last. The eighth picture he saw was of words written on a napkin it read "**Secrets are a powerful tool if used properly. I can keep secrets Ryder-can you?**" Ryder immediately through down his phone "**What was he going to do?**" Fear seized his heart "**He could wind up in jail.**" "**Why would anyone believe him over someone as powerful as Figgins?**" He had to think, he wished that he could erase all of this from his life. **"If Figgins has taken these pictures, using my phone, he has another set of them somewhere else too-but where? He needed to get them. He needs to apologize to this woman**." "**He was a victim too but would she ever believe that?**" He thought to himself.

Ryder waited and waited but she had been in that bathroom for a long time. He got tired of waiting and he had to talk to her and figure this out. He needed to first find out who she was and where she came from. "**Miss..."** He knocked on the door to the bathroom. "**Miss...**" He said again. "**We have to find out what happened to us?**" "**I'm coming in...**" He spoke as he slowly opened the door to the bathroom.

He found her sitting on the ground in the corner by the toilet and she was crying and trying to stop the vaginal bleeding that she was experiencing. She was in shock-he could tell because she was repeatedly, and rapidly un-scrolling the toilet paper to capture the blood and crying and crying more uncontrollably.

"**Hey, hey shhhh, shhhh, shhhh hey c'mon c'mon**." He raced over to the bed and brought a blanket over to her and covered her up. "**Look we have got to get you to a hospital. I know you will never believe this but I have to tell you the truth. I was knocked out and drugged or something.**" He tried to scoop her up but she did not want to be touched. "**I need you to understand what I am saying to you - DAMN, this is insensitive no matter what I say to you right now; this is not indicative of who I am.**" He said as he paced back and forth.

"**Please listen to me I know that this is hard to explain and even harder for you to hear, but I am a victim too. I was drugged also and put into a situation that I did not want or consent to. I need you to realize that I am not your assailant, I am a co-victim and we need to work together to find out what happened to us and how we can make them pay for it-do you understand?"** "**We have to call the police and get you to the hospital but first please tell me-what is your name?**" He said pleadingly.

"**Rachel**" she was whimpering "**Rachel Barry, I'm seventeen and a freshman at Rutgers University."** Her small frame seemed even smaller to him now. "**I'm a virgin...I mean I was a...**" and she cried and cried again. "**Oh no, seventeen...virgin...**" He thought. "**I am going to rot in jail aren't I?**" His stomach sank to the floor at just the contemplation of it all.

"**I am calling the cops.**" Ryder made up his mind; he had to just do this thing. "**NO!**" Rachel screamed, "**NO, no one must ever know!**" "**What are you saying?! That is crazy you need help.**" Ryder tried to speak some sense into her. "**No, I need a shower I will be fine.**" "**NO! Don't shower! Not before the police can do a rape kit that would wash away all the samples, all the evidence, no one will ever be able to know what happened-they would get away with this; you cannot allow that to happen**." Ryder found himself sounding incredibly forceful.

"**Please, my father...my mother... Oh, God my fiancé -they can never know. I am from a small town Lima, Ohio. There would be talk, I would never be able to live it down, please I am begging you if you are a victim too don't let them take everything away from me-what they took was bad enough.**" She began crying again.

Ryder hated himself for wanting it to all go away, himself, but he didn't have the right to do that without letting her know everything he knew. She had to make an informed decision not an irrational one. "**Rachel, listen to me-I think I know who was involved. I have to show you something that will not look good and it might make you not want to listen to or believe me but I swear to you as God is my witness I was a victim just like you. **"

Ryder pulled out his cellphone and showed her the pictures on it, all of them, including the note. Once she had looked at all of it he began again to speak. "**I was at a club tonight and I saw my boss do something to you that he should not have done and when I went to go and get help; I was hit and then drugged. I woke up here with you, if you choose not to pursue this-by taking that shower, there is no going back legally, but I promise you that I am going to go after him legally or not-he cannot do this to people-no matter how long this takes, I will take him down for this. I promise**" He lowered his head and his shoulders slumped as well then he sighed. "**I will understand if you think I am a part of this conspiracy, I suppose I would too. So, I am telling you don't do it-don't take the shower, let's get the rape kit and go to the police.**"

Rachel lowered her head and shook it and an eerie calm came over her. "**You said you are a victim too, if I get the rape kit, it would only implicate you and they would still get away-no, I just want this to be over, and I want to go home, so please excuse me while I take a shower.**" Ryder ran his fingers through his hair and he looked at her one more time. "**Please, excuse me.**" She said. Ryder left the room and closed the door.

**XXXXX**

"**Good morning everyone, it is great to see everyone has returned safely from your trip.** " Figgins entered the conference room with small project folders in his hands. "**Oh, Ryder is out sick today**." "**Why what happened?**" Mercedes asked. "**Oh nothing, you know, probably just that bug that is going around.**" Figgins answered quickly. "**Welcome, Mercedes I am glad that you are part of the team.**" Sam, Bash, and Mike all began clapping for her while they sat at the table. Sam provided her with the warmest of smiles.

"**Now let's do the math.**" Figgins said. "**It seems that Mercedes came out ahead-she won in golf, she won the rock-wall challenge, she finished to ropes course to help her team and she did not shy away from the fear bonding. That's four for you and the second highest was Mike with three-the ropes course, fear bonding, and the trust fall; each of you will receive a $1000 tax free in you paychecks this pay period and thanks to the fact that I am feeling really good after this weekend everyone else will receive an extra $500 tax free just for participating.** "The group began howling and clapping again.

Figgins then dropped the small project folders on the desk and told them of their first real world business venture. As they opened up the folders Figgins begins to introduce them to their first prospective client. "**Artie Abrams, an indie game developer and small business owner has become the talk of the gaming world. He has a game in development that most of gaming industry considers the next Call of Duty when it comes to its future earning potential."** Figgins then stated.

"**Mercedes as the winner you will head this project, since you are new, seek advice (my door is always open to you day or night), assign tasks, keep them on point and verify everything.**" "**Guys don't come to me cuz she's in charge- your deadline to get up to speed and have your initial meeting with him and assess his needs -I'll give you one week, anything more than that and other companies will come running and we will lose our edge.**" Figgins warned. "**Get to work**." Figgins directed as he left them to the conference room.

Mercedes looked around the room "**Okay guys, what are your strengths?**" Sam spoke up. "**I'll crunch the numbers, his potential, as well as how much we will need to get his business to the next level.**" "**You're on it.**" She said. "**Mike?**" She asked "I will check the competition see if anything is even remotely in the works that can be considered a copy or at least viable competition within the next two years." "**Fine**" Mercedes answered. "**I will whet the appetites of some of the industries that have shown interest in diversifying - looking to invest in some long term growth and let's face it the gaming industry isn't going anywhere.**" Bash said. "**What is Ryder's strong suit?**" She asked. "**He is good with detailing the best type of strategy to come to a favorable outcome.**" Mike answered. "**Great, I will take your information and check which legal precedents we can bring to him to make a strong argument that we are working for his best interest and I will write the contract-let's get to it and we will convene again in two days with our initial findings; by that time Ryder should be back and we can bring him up to speed."**

They all went to their own offices and began to get to work.

**Author's Note: Please review and forgive any and all mistake.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: I hope this is okay. Dead, dog tired, eyes are glassing over but I hope you enjoy the story so far and thank you to those who chose to stick it out with me. Not a nice chapter-be warned. Please forgive my mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 10**

Sam had been crunching numbers all afternoon. He attempted differing scenarios which could earn Mr. Abrams the most growth potential over time. While he was attempting to consider the differences between the US and Overseas Markets, his cell phone vibrated while sitting on his desk, once, then it stopped.

He continued working but his cell phone began vibrating again, once, twice but then it stopped. Sam picked up his phone, unlocked it and looked at his call log "**Two missed calls**", it read, "**Caller- Ryder**." Sam looked at his phone inquisitively "**Ryder? I thought he was sick, maybe he needs something.**" Sam thought as he dialed Ryder's number and placed the phone to his ear.

The phone rang, and rang, and rang, and rang, again. Sam was about to hang up the phone when Sam finally heard "**Sam?**" The voice was low but it was layered with immediacy and fear. "**Ryder? Whats' wrong?**" Sam asked. "**Where are you?"** The words flew out of his mouth as if they had been shot by a gun. "**I'm at work-where are you? I heard that you were sick buddy, you okay?**" There was a long silence. "**Are you alone right now?**" Ryder asked. "**Yeah**" Sam answered. "**Was everyone there today?**' Ryder questioned. "**Yeah"** Sam answered wondering when they got into this game of twenty questions. "**Even the boss?**" Ryder asked. "**Ryder what is this all about?"**

Sam noticed how stranger Ryder was sounding "**Ryder?"** "**Don't say my name out loud!"** Ryder shouted. "**Look Sam I need you to meet me-I need to talk to you-tonight, alright? You know meet me at that little spot of 14****th**** street, remember, at 7pm. Please-tell no one and come alone."** Then Ryder hung up the phone. "**Hey wait..."** All Sam heard was dead air, he put down his phone. Sam checked the time and it was already 6:31pm. He got up from his chair and headed to Mercedes office.

When he got there he saw Figgins Sitting in there with her and they were looking over some paperwork. "**I have a synopsis-an article at home that could pertain to this brief...**" She stopped speaking when she eventually saw Sam standing in her doorway. "**Oh hey**" she said with a smile. Sam could have sworn on the other hand that Figgins had just shot him a microburst look of displeasure.

"**Hi, sorry to disturb you two, Mercedes I know we were supposed to ride uptown together but I have to make a stop first-I forgot. Can we do it another day?**" He asked. "**Would you like me to come with you?**" She asked Sam. He wanted so much to be with her but Ryder's cryptic words of tell no one and come alone, made that not such a good idea. "**No, it's okay**." Sam said with a small sigh. "**Oh, alright then; goodnight.**" She said. "**Don't worry Sam; I'll make sure she gets home safely**." Figgins directed his comment to Sam but then he now addressed Mercedes "**Now you will be able to show me the article we were just discussing.**" "**Alright**" was her pithy reply that Sam heard as he left her office.

**XXXXX**

Sam pulled on his leather gloves as he crunched through the residual snow to make it to meet Ryder. It was a horribly bitter cold night tonight, so the warmth of the bar was indeed welcome. Sam spotted Ryder sitting in one of the back corner booths, which had been the farthest spot from the front door. Sam walked to the back and took a seat "**Did you tell anyone that you were meeting me?**" Ryder quickly asked. "**No, I'm sure you don't want anyone to know that instead of being sick you are playing hooky and sitting in a bar.**" Sam said with a chuckle.

The waitress came once to the table. "**Hey guys haven't seen you in a while-where you guys been?**" She said as she placed a bowl of nuts on the table. "**We were away on a business trip for a little while.**" Sam replied. "**Oh, what can I get for you?**" She asked as she took up her pen and pad. Ryder spoke up, "**We will have two beers, hot wings and a larger pitcher of ice water; Oh, and a lot of napkins, that's all." "Alrighty; Oh- and look, if that cute friend of yours comes in-when I'm on shift- tell him there's a free beer in it for him." **She smiled. "**Sure thing**" Sam said while looking at her name tag "**Santana**" She winked and then she left the table.

Ryder reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "**Since when did you start smoking**" Sam questioned. "**I think I may just start**" Ryder answered. "**What?**" Sam said. "**Look Sam there is something I have to tell you it will seem too fantastical but you have got to believe me.**" Sam watched as Ryder was speaking to him that his hands were shaking while he kept manipulating the lighter in his hand. "**So, why don't you just tell me?**" Sam spoke but Ryder was looking in the opposite direction when he answered "**Wait a minute." **

Santana was returning to the table **"Two beers, hot wings, a large pitcher of ice water, and lots of napkins-need anything else?**" She added. **"Got a pen I can borrow?"** Ryder asked. She looked at him strangely but she gave him her pen anyway. **"Thanks"** he said and she left the table again.

Ryder immediately took a napkin and wrote on it "**Figgins dangerous**" and shoved it across the table until it landed in front of Sam. "**What?**" Sam said. "**SSSSSSHHHHHH**" Ryder shut him down as he took the lighter and discretely set the napkin on fire and then dropped it into the ice water. Sam was astonished by what Ryder had just done. Ryder took another napkin and wrote "**Me...rape**" Sam's brows furrowed **"He raped you?"** Sam said shock and bewilderment on his face. Ryder vigorously shook his head "**NO**!" when he spoke it with a forceful whisper and then set that napkin on fire and dropped it into the ice water. Ryder furiously started scribbling again on a napkin "**Rape...17yr old...virgin.**" It read and he shoved it across the table at Sam, as soon as Sam read it Ryder snatched it back and also set it on fire and repeated his same precaution as earlier.

Sam started shaking his head "**It's true**" Ryder grumbled as he spoke through clenched jaws. "**I just got back from New Jersey, he set me up-he's got pictures.**" Ryder admitted. "**He is sick, Sam, sick; what I saw him do.**" Ryder covered his head in disgust. "**Did you call the police?** " Sam asked. "**I wanted to but she refused-it would have only implicated me anyway; Figgins saw to that.**" Ryder said.

"**Sam we have to find a way to stop him- he is really freaky** **and**..." Ryder swallowed hard and then explained what had happened to him, what he had heard, and what he had seen along with what it had also implied. After listening to Ryder, Sam jumped up from the booth and went to take off but Ryder grabbed Sam's hand; Sam's eyes grew wide "**But he is alone with Mercedes!**" "**Be smart if he finds out that I told you-he could be even more dangerous.**" Ryder chastised.

"**I have to help her**" Sam said. "**Check on her but, do not, give anything away-we need help, reinforcements and a plan. I am coming into work tomorrow like nothing happened -you do the same. We cannot tip our hand.**" Sam pulled away and ran to the train station heading uptown.

**XXXXX**

When Sam made it to Mercedes address he called her on the phone, it was almost 9:45pm. The phone rang, and rang but there was no answer just her voicemail. Sam buzzed her door and waited but there was no answer, although, he could see a light on in the window on the third floor. "**It was his first time coming to her house and it was for the most distressing reason.**" He thought. It was then that a man who had just been coming back from walking his dog started to enter the building. "**Excuse me- do you know Mercedes Jones?"** Sam asked. "**CeCe, why do you ask?**" "**I am a friend of hers from work and se has a big presentation due tomorrow and I needed to bring her this flash drive.**" Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out one. "**I can give it to her.**" The man reached out his hand. "**No, I really need to get it into her hands or the boss will kill us both-please-it will only take a moment.**" Sam put on his southern charm.

The man opened the door to the building and walked Sam to her doorway. Sam knocked and called out her name. He knocked again-no answer. "**Cece isn't home**" The guy spoke again but Sam heard water running "**Listen do you hear that? Go get the super to let us in something is wrong."** Sam said. The man hurried to get the Super while Sam continued banging on the door and calling her name.

The Super came with the keys and he opened the door Sam was inside in an instant the water in the bathroom sink had been running and he saw her, she was spread out across her bed, her hair was a tousled mass, a thin sheet was covering her, and her room was ice cold. All the windows in the apartment had been opened the curtains were blowing in the cold December wind. Sam grabbed a blanket from the sofa and covered her up. "**Mercy, Mercy**" he called as he stroked her face with his hand.

The Super turned off the running water "**Did she try to kill herself? I can't have another suicide in this building, word gets out, it's bad for business.**" "**No!**" Sam shouted "**She did not try to kill herself.**" "**Mercy**" he whispered in her ear and she stirred. He called her again. She started mumbling his name "**Sam, Sam, Sam is that you?**" Her eyes fluttered repeatedly as if it were too heavy to open so she needed to try multiple times.

"**What are you doing here?" **She spoke so listlessly. "**I missed you, I needed to see you**" he whispered in her ear while his heart hardened and tears glistened in his eyes. He remembered what Ryder told him and he knew what all of this meant. **"I feel funny"** She said "**Oh no did I black out again.**" She questioned and slowly began to cry.

Sam looked at the Super and the man who had been walking the dog, who was still standing in the doorway of her apartment. "**Can we be alone please-thank you for your help.**" Sam said. The two men looked at each other and then the Super spoke to Mercedes. "**Miss, are you alright**? Are you okay with being alone with this man?" "**Yes**" she answered while nodding. The two men left and closed the door behind them. Sam got up from kneeling by the bed and grabbed some tissues and used them, in his hands, to close the windows-he did so very gingerly.

Mercedes attempted to sit up in bed and realized that she was naked under the sheet & blanket Sam had just placed on her. "**I am so sorry you had to see this**." She shook her head in disappointment and shame. "**I told you that mental illness runs in my family.**" Sam listened to her talk on and on trying to rectify what had happened to her as he found her kitchen and began making her a cup of tea. Once he had made it he brought it to her and sat down next to her on her bed. "**Mercy**" Sam said. "**I want to tell you something.**" She finally raised her eyes to look into his-she had been avoiding his gaze until now.  
>"<strong>I love you<strong>" Sam said. "**What?**" She replied in disbelief. "**I love you-I know you may have a lot of theories about what happened here tonight, and I may have my own as well but no matter which scenario turns out to be true, I want you to know that it would not change a thing-it will not change the fact that I am in love with you.**"

"**Sam I don't want you feeling sorry for me!**" She spoke using a frustrated tone. "**I didn't say that I felt sorry for you, I said that I loved you. I will always, always love you.**" Sam reached out his hand and began to stroke her hair again and again. "**Are you in any pain?**" He asked her. "**My head hurts and I think that I am going to be sick."** She struggled to get up off the bed wrapped in the blanket and went to the bathroom and shut the door. As she was retching behind the door, Sam's anger burned with a fury of 15 million suns. His whole body shook and his head hurt from pounding. He thought back, as to the fact that, while he was making her tea- she cried, cried out of fear of a mental illness, how she thought things were better; she hadn't done things like this since she had been in school. She had hoped it was just the stress of college but now, here it was again, she started blaming, being given the opportunity to lead the team, that must have been what brought it on again. She started doubting her capabilities; she doubted herself, fearful, and self-loathing.

Sam wanted to scream as he dropped his face into his hands while he did the math in his head. "**All this time he had been victimizing her and allowed her to believe that it was her family's mental illnesses, that those issues were what she should have been concerned about. That bastard!**" Sam rocked back and forth. "**He needed her to get help, he needed for her not to feel foolish, for her not to feel embarrassed in front of him, and he still somehow needed to get her to trust him and believe him."** "**She had known Figgins for years** -**Would she believe him?"**

"**He was going to kill him-that was it; Sam was going to kill him." ** His thoughts of torturing Figgins, slowly, had been warming his heart so much he hadn't even realized that Mercedes had entered in the room until she rested her hand on his shoulder.

Sam held on to her hand and stood up and hugged her. "**Mercy, this isn't going to be easy but we need to talk."** "**Talk?**" She pondered. "**I am asking you to move in with me.**" "**Sam?"** She spoke as if she couldn't have possible heard him right. "**The city is not safe and I was so worried, just now, I want you to live with me." **He said. "**Sam what has gotten into you? You love me and you want me to move in with you?**" She asked. "**Are you sure you are not the one who blacked out?"** she chuckled. "**Don't answer yet because I have something to tell you and I need you to just hear me- okay?" "Alright"** she answered.

He walked her to the sofa and set her down and he sat on the ottoman in front of her. He leaned his head over into her lap to strengthen himself for this terrible conversation, and then he sat up. "**You know how you said tonight was a **reoccurring** thing but it hadn't happened since school? I think there is a reason for that. Mercedes, I think that you may have been raped tonight and that Figgins is the one who did it."**

The room may as well had become encapsulated in ice, nothing and no one moved, time stood still, the only presence was the cold sensation that just darted up Mercedes spine. "**What? Why would you say that?!"** Her mind was racing and filled with unbelief. "**I want us to go to the hospital and for you to get looked at."** "**Sam, are you crazy?**" "**Mercedes, did Figgins come here with you tonight**?" Sam asked. "**Yes, but he only stayed long enough to talk about work and to have one drink**." Sam stared at her. She jumped up and began to walk away but she realized again that she was naked. "**When did she take off all of her clothes?" **She pondered. Sam waited silently as she paced back and forth and waited for the possibility to dawn on her.

She placed her hand on her head and shook it vigourously **"No! No! He has known me for years-he would never! What kind of thing is that to say!"** She screamed. "**I get blackouts sometimes, that's all, blackouts. "** She said not wanting to believe anything different. **"Just come with me to the hospital and take the test, if I'm wrong-I'm wrong but I don't think that I am."** He said. "**I told you I had issues, I told you- I was afraid, I blackout, I have blackouts." **

"**Did you have them before he became your professor?"** Sam shouted. It was like a slap in the face but she needed it, she needed to see he wasn't who she had thought he was. Mercedes lost her footing and stumbled back a little as she thought about what Sam had just asked her. She tried to remember. "**It must have been before right?"** She looked at Sam for clarity. "**No, no it was after but..."** She felt her legs wobble beneath her.

"**He did it to another girl**." Sam said bluntly. Mercedes head snapped toward his direction. Sam was gritting his teeth as he spoke unable to control his anger in his tone. "**He has a way of doing things-Ryder witnessed it, he told me. Figgins drugs them, and... and... he likes the cold. All your windows were opened when I got here-Did you open them all?"** He asked. Sam began crying and pleading with her "**I need to take you to the hospital for a rape kit to be done and for your to talk to the police**." Mercedes dropped to the floor stunned.

"**That bastard violated you repeatedly for years and then let you suffer by thinking you were losing your mind! I could kill him for what he has done to you!"** Sam shouted. "**Don't let him get away with it get the evidence so that we can put him away."**

Mercedes crumbled like a pile of dirty laundry on the floor and sobbed. Sam raced over to her and held her tightly. "**You cannot stay here alone anymore. I want you to live with me-I love you and I will keep you safe from him. " **

After a while Sam waited while Mercedes put one some clothes and packed a bag, then they went to the hospital.

**XXXXX**

Sam waited in the hospital emergency room as Mercedes got checked out by the doctor. Sam watched as two police officers entered the ER from the street and, was, directed to the exam rooms in the back where she had been. It was 1:35am when she finally came out to him. She looked sullen and distraught. He took her to his home but they did not speak the entire way to his apartment.

Once Sam brought her inside he took the small bag of her things which he had been holding and sat it down in the corner of the room. "**You can take a shower now. I'll change the sheets on my bed and you can have it. I'll sleep on the couch." **He spoke while handing her a pair of his clean pajamas.

Mercedes went into his bathroom and took off the sweat suit the hospital provided for her when they took her clothes and kept them as evidence. She turned on the hot water on all the way, within minutes; the bathroom was filled with steam. Mercedes stepped into the burning water and used the bar of Ivory Soap that Sam had in the soap dish. She used the soap all over her body and she scrubbed and scrubbed until her skin was nearly raw and blistering from the heat. The she screamed the most blood curdling scream Sam had ever heard before she began to wail and cry.

Sam rushed into the bathroom and ran right into a wave of heat that took his breath away it was so thick. He leaped forward and turned the water off. He grabbed a towel and tried to wrap it around Mercedes body but she screamed "**NO, NO, NO, NO;"** she hit and kicked, and continued to scream again "**NO, NO, NO, NO**" and sobbed.

Sam was at a loss-he wanted to respect her wishes, he wanted her to realize that her "**NO**" still had power, weight, and that she had the right to say it and own it. But he also didn't want her to hurt herself anymore, he didn't want her to blame herself any more, he wanted so desperately to comfort her but she wouldn't let him. Sam backed off and waited, he watched her as she slumped down into the bathtub and he sat on the bathroom floor-they stayed there until morning.

Sam had been sleeping when she tapped him on the shoulder. He awoke instantly. Sam saw Mercedes standing over him wearing a business suit ant the stilettos she loved so much. "**It's time for you to get ready for work or we will miss our train**" She said. Sam leapt to his feet "**Mercy**, **are we going to work today?"** "**Sam, he kept me his ignorant plaything (her body shuttered) for years- -I didn't know how he used me-he used my ignorance against me.** **Now I'm going to use his ignorance against him**." She said forcefully.

**Author's Note: Please Review.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. Here is another chapter. This is more of an M for Mature rating. Please review once you have read it. Please forgive any and all mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. **

**My Eyes Were Trained On You**

**Chapter 11**

"**That's right; we are-but not today."** He said as he slowly shook his head "**No**" and she found his eyes were so focused on hers that she felt as if they were attempting to bore into her soul; she was forced to look away. He yearned to touch her but he did not feel that it would be right. **"Today we are going to stay here together and figure out a plan." **She immediately began to show how she was protesting his idea with her body language- she tilted her head to one side and folded her arms across her chest. Sam did not let that deter him as he continued to speak. **"I know how strong you are Mercy and I admire that about you, greatly-but you don't have to be so strong, not on your own, not anymore. We are not going to downplay what has happened to you, and I want you to know that you can lean on me through this. I sent a text to Mike last night while we were at the hospital telling him that we would be working off-site today, doing some research on Abrams, he will cover for us."**

Mercedes lowered her eyes slightly to hide the burgeoning tears and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Sam's voice was filled with compassion "**Mercy, I know that you can handle this on your own, I am not saying that you can't, what I am saying is- that you don't have to."** Mercedes turned around and walked out of the bathroom and into Sam's living room and Sam followed closely behind her. She never turned around, her back facing him, and her face lowered to the floor she spoke to him. **"Sam, I am strong because I've always had to be; not because I wanted to be. I have always found myself alone during the worst times of my life; I just had to handle it."** Sam took another step closer to her but still was careful not to touch her.

"**Just because I'm strong doesn't mean that I don't hurt, that I never feel ashamed, disappointed in myself, lonely, or even embarrassed. Right now, I am embarrassed-do you have any idea how hard it is to look at you right now."** She shook her lowered head and began also to chuckle in an ironic fashion. **"This is why I don't...why I shouldn't... I really allowed myself to hope that with you..." **Then she abruptly stopped speaking. Sam noticed her whole body stiffen and her shoulders rolled back and she stood up straight. "**I thank you for your kindness to me Sam, but I will be going home and dealing with this on my own. There is no need for you to be dragged into this- it is not your problem. I am just sorry you wasted your time with me-you sure didn't get a good return on your investment." **She spoke coolly but still never turned around to face him.

"**I am in this because you are in this."** Sam quickly responded. Mercedes began to speak again still with her back facing towards him. **"Sam, I already told you about my issues but this is over the top; even for me. I have been damaged goods, for years, more so than I had even known; you did not sign up for this-I am not going to hold you to anything you may have said before finding out about this hot mess." **

"**Mercedes, I said that I was in love with you. Now, I understand that you had a great deal on your mind last night so you may not have remembered this, but I told you that I was in love with you. Which I will translate, for you from Sam's speak- it means, I am not going anywhere; not without you." **Sam spoke confidently. ** "Sam why? Why love me? Do you have any idea what this means for our relationship? I was being raped-repeatedly and I didn't even know about it; my body betrayed me-so how can I trust it now? Do you know that I had to take an HIV test...and a pregnancy test?** **That I could have...ANYTHING!**" She shouted and then the crying began again. She shook her head furiously and raised it up to the heavens as if she were pleading for answers.

"**Ooooh, Sam you don't have any idea how much I wanted you (her voice was infused with a sigh which displayed her sadness and despair)...but now? I know that we should break up. I know that you would still be willing to be good friends, and as a good friend you would still let me live here with you until I could find someplace else and feel safe-I know you. But how can I? Work with you... and see you every day...am I supposed to just live with you too? Me? Wanting you the way that I still do.**

**You can't tell me that this isn't going to affect any attempt of intimacy between us. Even as just friends. You are going to be afraid to touch me; I am going to feel guilty for wanting you; in light of what has happened. I have the desire to sleep with you, Right Now!" ** She said louder than she thought she would. ** "I want to take back what Figgins stole from me-my right to choose-my sexual partners, but, are you going to think of me as a soulless slut- to not have the rape, have an effect on me, for any longer period of time than this? And what about the fact that, even if we did attempt it, all the while you are going to be thinking about..., **(her hands clenched into fists while hanging down at her sides)** with you knowing that our boss...! GOD! He has stolen so much from me and I am ANGRY! I AM ANGRY THAT I TRUSTED HIM. I AM ANGRY THAT HE HAS RUINED US!" **She shouted as she finally spun around to look at him; her tears flowing like a river down her face.

"**WHO SAID THAT HE HAS RUINED US? Sam shouted. I didn't **(as he pointed to himself)** - because, I won't allow it. Understand that! I refuse to let that happen; to let him do that to us-he's not worth it!" **

"**Sam you came to New York to work your dream job, to start your life, and meeting me has ruined all of that for you. You could have been in a relationship with some normal girl. You could have still had respect for your boss and excitement for where your career was going-but I have destroyed all of that for you. I can't allow you to stay with me while I keep destroying your dreams**." Mercedes said.

"**SO WE WILL GET DIFFERENT JOBS, AND WE WILL HAVE DIFFERENT BOSSES EARN OUR RESPECT, AND WE WILL BE EXCITED ABOUT DIFFERENT CAREERS! YOU ARE MY GIRL, AND WE ARE STARTING OUR LIVES TOGETHER! ** Sam shouted then he ran his hands through his hair and attempted to calm down as he blew air from his bottom lip upwards which made the low hanging strand of hair, over his eye, move. ** "Mercy, you have not destroyed my dreams-you've just become a replacement for them; that's all! You have almost from the very beginning; I did come looking for those things, but I was happiest once I found you."** Sam held out his hand to see if she would take it. Mercedes closed her eyes and swallowed as she un-clenched her fists and extended her arm and took hold of his hand, and then she opened her eyes and looked at him again. Sam pulled himself closer to her using her hand as his anchor. Once he got close to her he opened up his arms wide asking for permission to hug her, to which she just nodded. Once he was hugging her in his arms he spoke to her again. "**And as for you being damaged goods...you're joking right? Everyone is damaged in this world baby-you are not getting away from me, that easily, with such a lame excuse as that. Now, as for you wanting me; I know—that—that is the greatest news that I think, that I have ever heard. **His voice took on a jovial tone briefly.** Sweetheart, I just want us to be together-in any way that is healthy for you; I promise you that I will ask your permission before I ever touch you again until you are comfortable." **

"**Sam..." **Mercedes interjected**. "You are a grown man. Am I supposed to believe that you would be willing to do that?" **She questioned with a suspecting tone in her voice.** "For you, yeah, yeah I could do that, and I would do that for as long as you needed me too. It is not for me to tell you how you should deal with or handle this; you have to process this, on your own, in a way that works for you." **Sam said warmly.

"**How are you processing this Sam?"** Mercedes shot back, practically daring him to answer. ** "Tell me the truth, Sam... you don't think differently of me? You don't just see ma as a used victim standing before you?" **Mercedes asked**. "NO! I don't!" **He said forcefully.** "I know that you have been victimized Mercedes, but I see a survivor standing before me. You are a survivor, so much so, that you were surviving without even having the full inclination of what was happening to you! Mercedes, he wanted to make you think that you were going crazy-but you weren't; and you didn't." **Sam pulled back from her and began looking at her again as he stroked the sides of her shoulders.** "No matter what your family has been through, you have been fine, even despite what Figgins put you through! Do you have any idea how strong you really are, Mercy? There is no way in hell that I would ever see you as a used victim; survivor-yes, and by the time you finish with Figgins; conqueror- definitely- but as a used victim? As if that would be in your nature, or your natural state of being? Oh Hell to the No!" **Sam slowly shook his head no and his gruff voice held so much sincerity and confidence that even Mercedes dared to begin to believe in it too.

Sam hugged her tightly again and began to whisper in her ear. **"Mercy, I want you living with me because I don't want to be without you, I am at my happiest just standing in the same room with you. I could do that because my love for you is not only based on sexual attraction. It is based on loving your smile, and you're laughing at my southern accent, it's based on the books you choose to read, based on your being absolutely gorgeous, and you're being so kind. You were the kind of person who allowed a total stranger to sleep on your shoulder; on the subway." **He spoke with an air of wonder, pride, and disbelief. ** "I watched you for so long after that first day-wishing I had the guts to speak to you again. I wish you could truly understand my love for you- if you could understand it right now, in its fullest capacity, because if you did- you would know that what Figgins did to you, could never deteriorate it; in fact it has only made my love for you grow.** **I don't want you to think that he has ruined us because, as far as I am concerned, it has had the complete opposite effect, it has only made me want to be closer to you."**

"**Sam I want to be closer to you too.**" Mercedes said as she walked over to his bed and began turning it down. "**Sam take off all of your clothes please and come to bed with me, I don't know if we will actually do anything yet, I cannot tell, but I want you to hold me, I want to feel you next to me. I desire that sense of closeness right now too. I need it.**" She spoke while she stepped out of her stilettos and began opening up her suit jacket and exposing her camisole underneath.

"**Will you give me five minutes? I want to take a shower and I want you to be sure, just five minutes."** He said. "**The countdown starts now, Sam."** Sam sprinted to the bathroom and closed the door which could not help make Mercedes laugh. She was grateful she couldn't believe that she would be able to laugh again so soon after, leave it to Sam to be the one to make it happen. She step out of her skirt and looked at herself in the full length mirror that Sam had on the back of his apartment door.

She scanned her body as she removed her camisole and looked at herself in her bra and underwear. She unhooked her bra and removed it while she stared at her bare breasts. She then stepped out of her underwear and stood there completely naked wondering... "**If she could see it? Could she see someone who had been raped? Were there any marks left on her body that would give her away? Would Sam see something on her and be reminded? The only mark she saw on her body as she did a full 360˚ turn was from her roping accident when Sam so carefully tried to take care of her.**" She remembered. **"I remember- how much desire I saw in his eyes, that day, towards me? Would I see it again now? Or will I be hurt because it would be totally different this time? Would it be gone all together?"** She turned her body into a profile position as she continued to ponder.

"**Could she find the confidence in her own sexuality again? She desired to please him and to have him wanting more but... could she muster up the courage; the energy? Could she put Figgins out of her mind and make him disappear from Sam's mind as well? Eclipsed, and overshadowed by the wanton lust that was made from- just the desire that the two of them had for each other-alone?"** She heard the shower turn off in the bathroom and she walked back to the bed and climbed in. She pulled the covers up all the way to her throat as she thought about what this could lead to and how she needed, for her own self, to be able to handle it and not freak out. She couldn't even remember what Figgins had done to her, so he must not have a whole lot to offer, she smirked in a manner that showed her true condescendence of him and what she used to think of him.

"**Sam is her choice." **She continued thinking.** "Sam is who she has wanted for a while now. Sam is the man that she will remember, because she wants too. Sam is the man she loves..."** She thought. "**I love him... and I love myself too, and because I do, I will not allow our first time to be sullied by memories of anyone-but us. I am not going to have thoughts about anyone-but us... I love him and he loves me."** She had going over and over with it in her mind when Sam entered the room wearing a towel around his waist and nothing more. "**Are you sure?"** He asked. Mercedes simply lowered the covers on the empty side of the bed and tapped where she wanted him to be. Sam walked over to the bedside dropped his towel, which gave Mercedes quite a bit to take in while he climbed into the bed next to her and pulled the covers up to his shoulders as well.

As they lie there on their sides, side by side, looking into each other eyes for at least ten minutes Mercedes broke the silence with **"I love you Sam."**

Sam smiled and said in a humorous voice. **"Ok let's get the rules straight, alright? Right now. You are perfectly free, on my end, to touch my body in any way that you so desire. I am not going to stop you in the least, you have my complete and utter consent, I'm just sayin'- just putting it out there." **He nodded his head up and down vigorously and smiled at her.

Mercedes burst into laughter again, along with Sam; while she had done so then she partially covered her face with the covers. "**Oh sweetie don't do that-I like seeing your smile.**" Sam said as he pulled the cover back down and away from her face. "**May I touch your hair?**" He asked. She nodded. "**Nope, let me hear your words, Mercy. Yes or No?**" He challenged her. "**Yes you may, Sam.**" Sam reached out and began softly stroking the strands of her crinkly hair. Mercedes scooched closer to Sam in bed and began to slide her hands over his shoulder, to his collarbone and down to his pectorals. Sam felt the palpitations begin immediately, just the warmth of her hands on his body had quickly stirred his desire to enter her but he tried to keep his cool.

"**May I kiss you?**" Sam asked. "**Yes Sam**." Sam watched her carefully as he approached her ever so gently and began to kiss her. Mercedes moved even closer to him and she buried her face into his neck feeling the scratching of his unshaven five o'clock shadow from the night before along her forehead and the top of her check as she began kissing him along the top of his torso. She could smell the scent of the soap he had just used still on his skin and she was beginning to become invigorated by the rising rate of his breathing pattern. He almost reached for her breast, while simply getting caught up in the moment, but instead he broke away from his furious kissing of her ear under her hair and asked with a much more sultry tone. **"Mercedes may I..."** but before he could finish his sentence she responded. **"Yes, Sam; yes, yes, yes to everything.**" With that Mercedes took her right leg and engulfed his legs under hers and forced him downward, flat on his back, onto the bed. She straddled him and started feverishly licking and sucking on his right nipple while she held his wrists down against the bed.

Sam's back arched upward and his head forced itself back against his pillow while his eyes rolled upward into his head. Mercedes let go of one of his hands so that she could reach for his penis with her free hand. He squeezed her side as he slid his hand up and down on her hip and buttock as she immediately and aggressively reached for his penis with her left hand and put it in just the right position for her to insert him into her vagina. "**Oh Sam, Sam.**" She said once he let go of one of her hips and started to fondle her breast. Her breath stilled as she slid on to him and fully encapsulated him inside of her. She found herself moaning and gasping as soon as she felt it slide up inside of her and he let out a long held breath of satisfaction and then inhaled deeply.

She sat there taking him all in she didn't move her hips but she did allow her torso to collapse down on the top of his body. She rubbed the side of her face and her hair all along Sam's chest and she could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest. "**Oh Mercy.**" Sam groaned and yearned all at the same time. He waited. He tried waiting as long as he could. He licked his lips and his body quivered from enjoyment and pleasure. He couldn't take much more though he had to start moving. He had to start doing something, for his sake of sanity, because this was better than he ever could have expected. He was going to give way any minute and he was not going to rob her of pleasure he just was not.

"**May I? Can I? I need to**." Mercedes flicked his nipple with the tip of her tongue and asked sexily "**What do you think my answer is Sam-yes!**" Her words came out breathy and vulnerable. Sam's head pressed back into the pillow again and his pelvis started thrusting upward; once, twice, tree times, and four, repeatedly faster and faster until Mercy could no longer count. Mercedes clenched her thighs tighter and slid both of her arms underneath his body, under his back, when he raised his hips up again. She squeezed him tightly around his waist and whispered. "**Yes, Sam... (**Her breath was hot and purposefully sensual on his body-she made sure of it**) C'mon Sam. I want all of you. Don't stop hon, more... uh...more... ah... more...**" As she grinded her backside deep into the top of his thighs as she lowered her center of gravity and grinded down to meet his every thrust. She rocked back and forth on top of him- as she simultaneously, and ever so slightly, slid up and down on his swollen extended shaft, sliding further up to the tip of his penis with each stroke, she offered the tease of separation but never actually fulfilling that promise, and sliding forcefully back down this now dripping wet surface, filled with her juices and his pre-promise of more to come, literally. His breathing had been becoming more labored and Mercedes could feel his penis pulsating within her.

Sam's groaning was becoming louder and louder, then he wrapped both of his arms around her waist and in one depth motion he forced her body weight to the left and he rolled over on top of her. The show of forcefulness excited Mercedes and she gasped in shock, and yet, also delighted. Sam began suckling her breasts and he inserted his hand between her legs and used his thumb to stimulate her even more. Mercedes found herself reaching upward and grabbing on to the headboard of the bed as she continued to meet with his every grinding action.

Sam's hair had grown dark from sweat along the hairline of his face. He lifted his head and was watching her face as she winced and gasped and squealed with pleasure. "**What do you want me to do for you Mercy?"** He asked as he moved his lips from one of her nipples to the other and he heard her faintly say. **"Never stop!**" Again her breath then caught. He shook, and quaked, and burned as he forced his lips onto her mouth and found the missing breath that he needed to continue.

The headboard began banging against the wall and Mercedes lifted one of her legs and wrapped it around Sam's hip. Sam began digging in his feet into the mattress as if he were a sprinter at the starting line of a race and delved in deeper and deeper. **"OOOOOOHHHH, Sam!**" She screamed. Sam immediately pulled out and placed his mouth on her clit to finish the job and she felt the volcanic eruption of lust spew forth from her body, as she shook and vibrated within his mouth Sam had wrapped his arms around her thighs to hold them open and tightly so that he could take in every spasm she released. Feeling her trembling in his mouth was all he needed for him to release his sperm all over the sheets.

Once Mercedes finished trembling Sam exhaled a hot breath into her vagina and she squirmed and wriggled on the bed. He began laughing and crawled up the bed back to her side. She smiled and tapped him on the shoulder and all he could do is shrug his shoulders and give a mischievous grin. Sam pulled Mercedes close to him in a hug and pulled the covers back up over both of their bodies. Sam held tightly onto her and just took in this moment of bliss. He was happy, he was satisfied, he was in love and he never wanted this to end.

Mercedes had her arms under Sam's arms and she was holding on to the back of his shoulders. She held on to him for dear life. She was so grateful for him, she was grateful that this type of man had loved her. He somehow saw the world very differently- he could see some terrible things but yet find a way to find the positive in it all. "**Sam..."** She started. "**Mmmm, mmm**" he answered while still relishing in the moment. "**I am glad that we didn't go to work today Sam... I needed this.**"

"**We couldn't go to work today." **He said in a groggy fashion, a man about to fall asleep**. "Not because I thought that you were not strong enough Mercy, but because I wasn't-I would have killed him today if I looked in his face. The only thought I have had on my mind since I found you in your apartment- like that-was how I was going to murder-Figgins. You need to give me some time to do this, right- I would never look at you differently, **(He kept speaking but was continuing to drift off to sleep and he words were growing weaker and weaker) **but I am looking at him differently...and what I see... doesn't deserve to be walking around on this planet." **Sam drifted off to sleep.

Mercedes laid in bed thinking about what Sam had just said, she was wondering **"Could she truly get away with killing Figgins?"**

**Author's Note: Please forgive any mistakes and please review.**


End file.
